George  Washington  Flowers 
Memorial  Collection 

DUKE  UNIVERSITY  LIBRARY 

ESTABLISHED  BY  THE 
FAMILY  OF 

COLONEL  FLOWERS 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2015 


https://archive.org/details/mississippiasiti01trac 


cJASKSQH,  MISS 
MESScHfiES  Pl'SLISHIMq  £?. 
--7i395l— 


300,000 

The  Delta  & 


Offers  For  Sale 


Heavily  timbered  oak,  ash,  cypress 
and  other  woodland  lying  in 
YAZOO  DELTA, 
Mississippi. 

Wm.  Watson,  - Jackson,  Miss. 


F.  C.  YKLSO>T, 

GENERAL  AGENT  FOR  . . . 

, r,  Vazoo-fvlississippS  Della  and  Hill 

Tirnbef 

Farm  Lands. 

Gray  & fOcWilUe  BliildinS, 

JiTCi-tson,  miss. 


Real  Estate 
and  Gen- 
eral Agent. 


City  Property  and  Farm  Lands  for  sale. 

315  E.  Capitoi  Street,  JACKSON,  MISS. 


With  lines  of  it's  o\\  n from  the  Mississippi  riv  er  at  Sioux  City  and 
Sioux  Falls  to  the  Great  Likes  at  Chicago,  and  from  Chicago 
South  to  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  at  New  Orleans,  is  the 


its  through  fast  trains  from  the  west  to  Chicago,  connect  with  its 


Fast  train,  which  makes  the  distance  between  the  two  cities  men- 
tioned with  but  one  night  on  the  road.  This,  and  other  trains  of  the 
“Central  route,” 


and  satisfactorily  from  the  North,  either  via  Jackson,  Term,  or  Mem 
phis.  Tenn.,  3 


Referred  to  in  this  book,  to  all  such  districts  and  points  lying  on  and 
adjacent  to  the  lines  of  the  Illinois  Central  and  the  Yaxoo  & Missis- 
sippi Valley  railroads.  Tickets,  excursion  or  regular  rates,  train  time 
and  other  matters  pertaining  to  a trip  to  the  South,  can  be  obtained  of 
Illinois- Centra!  R.  R.  ticket  agents,  and  those  of  lines  connecting  who 
the  Central  Route. 


J-  T HARAHAN  Mi.  C MARKHAM, 

2d  vice-Presidenf.  Assistant  Tronic  Manager. 

T J.  HUDSON,  A.  rt.  HANSON, 

Traffic  Manager  General  Passenger  Agent. 


OVER., 


< THOSE  SEEKING  N 
mu  HOMSS  IM  _ 

AT  POINTS  LOCATED  ON,  OR  ADJACENT  TO  THE  LINE 

OF  THE 


mi  Mississippi,  can  reach  such  points  from  the  North  quickly  and  Jr- 
s'-tiy  by  taking  tlu- ILONOlS  GEN  1R.AL  R.  R,  through  trains  from 
S."i:  City.  Siou;:  Fails,  Chicago  arJ  ether  points  west  and  north 
‘ : v its  mail  !i  ,-n  i a ranches:  the  trains-  of  the  “Central' 
■'m  a • and  conneeO'M  m x cv:.  eclinn  at  Memphis  with  those  of 
tire  Y.  & M.  .Vi-  Re  R.  This  Should  be  borne  in  mind,  as  the  Yazoo 
and  ATs-  * ;ippi  Valiev  I Tail  road  Company  has 


HMDS  FOR  'SALE 


TO  DIE  EXIT  NT  Of  600.000  ACRES.  IN  THE 


Which  are  offered  at:  iow  price  and  an  easy  tennis.  Special  induce^ 
n'.ents  ;:k1  facilities  offered  chose  ini  rested  to  go  an  <•.  -mine  TIV--se 
hands,  for  particulars  of  which, .address  or  call  upon  E.  P.  Skene.  Land 
Commissioner,  \ \ t.  P rk  Row  Chicago,  ill;:;  orG.  W.  McGiiniK, 
As.  i:  mat  • and  Commissioner,  .wetnpLL  Tern. 

ad  like  nfonnation  if  regard  to.  iVu  iiities  f r reaching  prints  on  \ he 
V;  : M.  V.  P.  '■<  from  points  m the  North,  call  on  -my, ticket  agent 
cf  the  Illinois  Centra!  Railroad  or  connecting  lines. 


J.  T.  HARAHAN, 

2nd  Vice-President. 
t.  j.  Hudson, 

T rathe  Manager. 


M.  C Markham. 

Assistant  TradO  Manager. 
A.  H Hanson, 

General  Passenger  Agent. 


Wm.  P.  Curtis,  S.  P.  Walmsley. 


CURTIS  & WALMSLEY, 

-^5)  REM  ESTRTE, 


(new  n^xcarowdelet  st.  jjgyj  Orleans,  La, 

’<7p"  ' 

Special  attention  given  to  handling  of  Timber 
and  Agricultural  Lands  in  Mississippi,  Louisiana, 
and  adjoining  States, 

We  have  for  sale  several  large  tracts  of  tim- 
bered lands,  in  virgin  forest,  also  several  hun- 
dred thousand  acres  of  agricultural  lands  now 
under  cultivation. 

•m*  CORRESPONDENCE  SOLICITED. 

YAZOO  FARM.  AND  TIMBER  LANDS 

»-  Howest  fPiices 
S.  anb  Best  tkrms. 

Jfor  JSaje  bg 

w CMITXJ  Leal  Estate  Agent  and  Civil 
Oflllfij  Engineer,  YAZOO  CITY, 

fcSNCorre'Spondence  solicited.  MISS. 


SOUTHEAST  MISSISSIPPI 

LINDS. 

60,000  ACRES  Farming  and  Timbered  Lands 
in  large  and  small  tracts.  Price  from  $8.do  to 
$10.00  per  acre.  Water,  climate,  and  health 
unsurpassed,  GEO.  L.  DONALD,  Jr., 

Meridian,  Miss. 


365634 


TTT o f>  C FOR  SALE  away  from  the 
IlUHpD  extremes  of  heat  and  cold, 
close  by  city  of  Memphis,  Tenn. 

fJi)y  Sized.  Yattr}. 

Panola  & Tate  Counties  Mississippi  Land  Company,  West  Tenn.  Laud  Company, 
Southern  Homeseeker  Land  Company.  We  are  Pioneers  in  the 
business.  We  sell  more  land  and  introduce  more 
buyers,  than  all  the  land  Companies  in 
North  Mississippi  and  West 
Tennessee  combined. 

J6QP  WRITE  FOR  LITERATURE,  “©ft 

R|erenCeMerCantile  Bank  and  the  leading  F^k  Trimble,  PF6S., 

commercial  men  of  Memphis,  Tenn.  42  Madison  St-,  MEMPHIS,  TENN, 


M’.  A EVERMAN,  A.  H.  STO  E,  W.  W.  STONE, 

Pres.  Delta  Grocery  Co.,  Attorney  at  Law,  Auditor  State  of  Miss., 

Greenville,  Miss.  Greenville,  Miss.  Jackson,  Miss. 

EVERMAN  & STONE, 

Real  Estate  Agents,  Washington  County,  Miss. 

Improved  Plantations  for  sale  in  lots  to  suit  purchasers.  Timber 
L aids.  Will  Sell,  Lease  or  Purchase.  Correspondence  Solicited 
with  Parties  wishing  to  purchase  or  locate  in  the  Great  Yazoo 
Mississippi  Delta. 

Special  attention  given  to  Immigrants  inspecting  the 
country. 


Will  Cixt&y^ 


Indigestion,  Nervous  And  all 

Dyspepsia,  Affections.  Bowel  and 

Kidney,  Headache,  Stomach 

River  and  Constipation,  Troubles. 

flNPLYSIS 

By  L,  G.  *>fJTTE«SOH,  State  Chemist. 

• Grns.  to  U.  S.  Gal. 

Carb.  Magnesium 22.37 

Potash,  Sulp., 1.78 

Iron  Carb Trace 

Sodium  Chloride, 13-49 

Sodium  Snip., 5-7® 

Calcium  Sulp., 34.32 

Magnesium  Sulp., - 1 7-t5 

Silica, 2.20 

Total, 87.09 

Df'lnlt  f tom  Eight  to  Tuielve  Glasses  Daily. 


Try  this  watei  especially  for  Bright’s  Disease  and  diabetis.  A trial  shipment 
free.  Correspondence  solicited  from  “physicians;”  information  freely  furnished 
any  one  that  will  take  the  trouble  to  post  a one  cent  card. 

W.  E.  GtilHJHIflS,  Proprietor,  Yazoo  City,  JHiss. 


THE 


ROUTE 


The  Great  Trunk  Line 


TO  AND  PROM 


FROM 

Vicksburg,  Jackson,  and  Meridian, 

TO 

New  Orleans,  Binning  Irani,  Chattanooga,  Lexing- 
ton, Cincinnati. 

Superb  Vestibules  Trains 

NORTH. 

THROUGH  SLEEPERS  TO  WASHINGTON  AND  NEW  YORK. 
Direct  line  between  the  Southeast  and  Southwest. 

For  routes,  rates,  schedules,  printed  matter,  etc.,  call  on  or 
address  any  Q.  & C-  agent,  or 

R.  H.  GARRATT,  Ass’t  Gen.  Passenger  Agt.,  New  Orleans,  La. 
I.  HARDY,  ,,  ,,  ,,  ,,  Vicksburg,  Miss, 

or 

W-  C.  RINEARSON,  GEN.  PASSENGER  AGT., 

Cincinnati,  Ohio. 


are  in  effect  to  land  points  the  year  round  , and  once  per  month  a rate 
of  one  fare  for  the  round  trip  is  made  to  all  points  in  Kentucky 
south  of  Danville;  all  points  in  Tennessee,  Alabama,  Mississippi, 
North  Carolina,  South  Carolina;  Also  to  certain  points  in  Georgia 
and  to  New  Orleans,  La. 

Ask  any  agent  for  full  particulars. 

Send  to  us  for  printed  matter.  We  have  a little  book  con- 
taining letters  from  people  who  have  gone  South.  We’d  like  to 
send  you  one. 

W,  Gen-  Passen^en 

Cincinnati?  Of?io. 


EdmaPds,  fiinds  County.,  Mississippi. 

Eighteen  miles  west  of  Vicksburg  on  Queen  & Crescent  Route,  has 
70c  people,  ships  10.000  bales  cotton,  immense  quantities  of  tomatoes 
and  all  kinds  vegetables,  fruit,  etc.,  to  Northern  markets.  Has  public 
school,  six  churches,  saw  mill,  cotton  gin  and  wagon  factory,  and  no 
saloons.  Taxation  low.  The  long  staple  cotton  grown  near  Edwards 
sells  at  highest  market  price. 

Inducements  offered  for  the  building  of  furniture  factory  and 
cotton  mill. 


4,0 00  Meres  Fine  Land 

Adjoining  the  town  of  Edwards  will  be  sold  in  a body  or 

in  Tracts  to  suit  on  Easy"  Terms.  Also  choice 
town  lots  for  sale. 

Address  . . 

K.  S.  Withers,  Morgan  City,  La. 

or  w.  A.  Montgomery,  Attorney  at  Law, 

Edwards,  Miss. 


TIMBER  uil  IMPROVED  LANDS  lot  Sill  in  the  YAZOO  DELTA, 


We  offer  for  sale,  large  tracts  of-  valuable  timberlands, 
situated  on  and  near  the  Main  Eine  of  the  Yazoo  & 
Mississippi  Valley  Railroad,  in  Bolivar  County 
Mississippi.  These  lands  have  a fine  growth  of 
white  oak,  ash,  hickory,  and  several  valuable 
cypress  breaks.  Being  very  fertile,  most  of  them 
can  be  converted  into  valuable  plantations,  after 
the  valuable  timber  is  removed. 

We  will  sell  in  tracts  of  from  forty  acres  to  20,000  acres. 
We  also  have  some  choice  improved  plantations  for 
sale;  price  and  terms  reasonable. 

CHAS.  & A.  ■¥.  SCOTT, 

Attorneys  at  Law), 
l^o^ed&Ie,  hBoliVar  ©o.,  IV]i55- 

References. — Bank  of  Rosedale,  of  which,  Chas. 
Scott,  is  President.  Hanover  National  Bank,  New  York 
City.  German  Bank,  Memphis,  Tenn, 


QUEEN  AND  CRESCENT  ROUTE 


OVER  A 

1^11,1,10^  pc  IRES 

OE  GOOD 

FARMING,  TIBER  ill  MINERAL  LANDS 

TE^Q  F5.  s.  A.  TUtn . 


In  the  Mney  \v  ooas,  on  tue  <w  v_.  iii  :x\.  pi. 

THE  SOUTHa-^s^ 


Is  rapidly  moving  toward  a new  era  of  prosperity.  Now  is  the 
time  to  buy  a home  in  the  most  favored  portion  of  America.  We  have 
over  a Million  acres  of  good  land  for  sale,  running  from  >3.00  to 
$5.00  per  acre,  and  on  easy  terms.  These  lands'  are  some  of  the  cheap- 
est and  most  profitable  in  the  State  of  Mississippi. 

Handsome  profits  are  to  be  made  in  early  vegetables  and 
fruits.  Excellent  land  for  truck  farming. 

Ilf  QUEEN  II  CRESCENT  10 


Wants  you  to  come  and  see  the  South. 

Come  and  see  if  the  crops  are  good  and  the  people  are  happy 
and  well-to-do. 

See  if  you  can  make  it  pay  to  come  South  and  live. 

W.  C.  R1NEARSON,  G.  P.  A.,  ' FRANK  Y.  ANDERSON, 
Cincinnati,  O.  Land  Commissioner, 

Birmingham,  Ala. 


304  E.  Capitol  St.  R.  K.  JAYNE  Jackson,  Miss. 

j&eal  Estate  f[gei)t. 

FARMS,  CITY  PROPERTY  A$D  TIMBER  LANDS  FOR  SALE. 

Trompt  attention  given  Correspondence. 


W-  C-  H-  ROBINSON. 

of 

Robinson  & Underwood. 


J WALKER  COLEMAN. 

Late  As’t  Geu.  Pas.  Agt 
ILLINOIS  CENTRAL  R.  R. 


J.  W.  COLEMAN  & CO., 


EXCLUSIVE  DEALERS  IN 


Country  and  Suburban  Real  Estate, 

I N 

^Mississippi,  Ijouisiaijet  eigel  aelj0i:r)iri«|  Stales. 

Correspondence  Solicited.  123  La. 

Yieksbupg  M Estate  Ageney, 


Buy,  sell  and  lea^e  Lands,  City  and  Farm  Properties, 
Cypress,  Pine  and  Cottonwood  Lands. 


ioi)4  N.  Washington  St., 


VICKSBURG,  MISS: 


W.  I.  HODGSON. 


ESTABLISHED  1857. 


HARRY  G.  HODGSON. 


W,  I.  I locio sort  0 @3©r)j 

auctioneers, 

an&  General  IReal  Estate  Events. 

. . Correspondence  Solicited.  , . 

143  Caroudeiet  St.,  n r^eui  Orleans,  JL-a. 

F.  Haipip’s 

Loan,  - insurance  - anel-t^eal- Estate 

Wjl  HENRY  l 

6 1*25  £s^,»c‘al’ 

montevallo  coal.  * aA&  (Benenil  H^cnts, 

303  East  Capitol  St.,  dacksoi},  ifyliss. 


MISSISSI  IP3P 1 
AS  ST  SS, 


A HANDBOOK 


FACTS  FOR  IMMIGRANTS. 

<f- ■ 


PREPARED  BY 

S.  M.  TRACY, 

director  of  State  Experiment  Station, 
Agricultural  College,  Miss. 

1895. 


JACKSON,  MISS.: 

MESSENGER  PUBLISHING  COMPANY.  PRINTERS. 
1895. 


iNTi^otsu©TO^y 

« » 

Mississippi  has  long  felt  the  need  of  some  publication 
which  should  present  the  facts  in  regard  to  her  wonderful, 
agricultural  and  manufacturing  resources  in  such  a form  as 
should  be  an  aid  to  the  thousands  of  northern  and  western 
men  who  are  now  looking  to  the  South  as  their  future  home. 
A meeting  to  consider  the  subject  was  called  at  Jackson, 
m November  last,  His  Excellency,  Gov.  J.  M.  Stone  pre- 
siding, and  various  plans  for  the  proposed  publication 
were  discussed.  There  was  no  State  organization  having 
authority  to  print,  and  no  public  funds  which  could  be 
drawn  upon  for  the  printing  of  such  a publication,  and  the 
work  could  be  done  only  by  private  enterprise.  The  un- 
dersigned committee  was  appointed  to  raise  the  necessary 
funds  by  public  subscription,  an  arrangement  was  made 
with  Prof.  Tracy,  the  Director  of  the  State  Experiment 
Station,  to  prepare  the  book,  and  the  results  are  now 
before  you. 

It  was  impossible  to  give  details  of  lauds  and  locations 
in  a book  of  this  size,  but  in  the  closing  pages  will  be 
found  the  addresses  of  men  in  different  sections  of  the 
State  who  will  gladly  give  full  information  of  their 
respective  localities,  and  with  whom  the  home-seeker 
should  correspond. 

W.  W.  Stone,  J ' 

G.  W.  Carlisle,  | 

R.  W.  Millsaps,  > Committee. 

R.  L.  Saunders,  | 

E.  Watkins,  J 


THF  FLOWERS  CO 

c\  \ 7 . {, 
T7U^\ 


The  States  bordering  on  the  Gulf  rexico  are  now 
attracting  more  atttention  from  home-seekers  and  home- 
makers than  is  any  other  part  of  the  United  States.  Their 
genial  climate,  the  fertility  of  their  soil,  and  the  present 
low  prices  of  their  lands,  all  combine  to  make  them  the 
most  desirable  portion  of  the  whole  country  for  the  man 
who  has  energy,  intelligence,  and  even  a moderate  amount 
of  capital.  Mississippi  is  the  central  State  of  this  region, 
and  is  one  which  contains  a greater  variety  of  soils,  and 
which  is  capable  of  producing  successfully  and  profitably 
a greater  variety  of  farm  products  than  is  any  other  State 
in  the  whole  Union.  On  the  east  is  Alabama  with  her 
rich  cotton,  hay  and  corn  fields;  on  the  north  is  Tennes- 
see with  her  famous  tobacco  fields  and  bluegrass  pastures; 
on  the  west  is  Arkansas,  famous  as  a fruit  country,  and 
Louisiana,  the  “Sugar-bowl  of  America;”  while  on  the 
south  is  the  Gulf  Coast,  where  the  high  lands  extend  to 
the  water’s  edge,  with  its  numerous  health  resorts,  and  its 
unequalled  opportunities  for  boating,  fishing,  hunting, 
truck  farming,  and  dairying,  combining  to  make  it  one 
of  the  most  attractive  parts  of  the  State.  The  favor- 
able conditions  possessed  to  such  an  unusual  degree  by 
the  surrounding  States  center  and  unite  in  Mississippi, 
thus  securing  to  her  the  material  advantages  of  all,  in  ad- 
dition to  the  wonderful  resources  consequent  upon  her 
fortunate  location.  Mr.  Carlisle  said,  recently:  “Missis- 
sippi is  essentially  and  pre-eminently  an  agricultural 
State.  Nature  designed  and  fashioned  it  to  blefes  and  re- 
ward-the  labors  of  the  husbandman.  Its  recent  geologi- 
cal formations  appear  to  exclude  it  from  the  profits  of  the 
mine  and  quarry,  but  what  the  State  lacks  in  mineral  re- 


IO 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


sources,  sometime  transitory  and  always  in  the  end  ex- 
haustive, is  more  than  counterbalanced  by  a generous, 
responsive  soil,  an  almost  ideal  climate,  and  productions 
the  value  and  variety  of  which  are  not  excelled  in  any 
part  of  the  Union.  The  first  Europeans  who  trod  its 
soil — the  adventurous  and  romantic  expedition  of  Her- 
nando de  Soto — found  its  surface  richly  carpeted  with  the 
native  grasses,  and  maize  or  Indian  corn,  one  of  the  chief 
foods  of  mankind,  ‘of  such  luxuriant  growth  as  to  produce 
three  or  four  ears  to  the  stalk.’  No  State  in  the  Union 
has  been  more  liberally  endowed  by  nature  with  all  the 
conditions  favorable  to  agriculture.  In  one  sense  of  the 
word,  Mississippi  is  still  a new  State,  with  its  immense 
natural  advantages  as  yet  mainly  unappropriated.  Its 
great  forests  of  valuable  woods  have  been  comparatively 
little  depleted;  many  of  its  numerous  fine  mill  and  man- 
ufacturing sites  awrait  the  power  of  skill  and  capital;  more 
than  half  its  area  remains  untouched  by  the  husbandman, 
while  the  part  already  in  cultivation  may  be  made  to 
double  its  productive  power  by  improved  methods  of 
agriculture.  ” 

AREA  AND  POPULATION. 


The  area  of  the  State  of  Mississippi  is  46,810  square 
miles,  or  29,958,400  acres.  The  acres  used  as  farm  lands 
and  number  of  farms  since  i860,  are: 


TEAK. 

NO.  OF 
FARMS. 

NO.  OF 
ACRES. 

IN 

CULTIVATION. 

AVERAGE 
SIZE  OF  FARMS. 

1800 

42,840 

15,840,000 

5,065,000 

370 

1S70 

68,023 

13,129,000 

4,209,000 

193 

1880 

101,772 

15,855,462 

5,216,937 

156 

1890 

144,318 

17,572,547 

6,849,390 

122 

The  population  of  the  State  in  i860,  was  791,305, 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


1 1 


which  had  increased  to  1,289,600  in  1890. 

From  these  statements  in  regard  to  the  population 
and  the  size  of  farms  it  is  seen  that  in  Mississippi  it  is  the 
country  rather  than  the  towns  wThich  is  receiving  the  bulk 
of  the  increase.  This  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  while  the 
total  population  has  not  quite  doubled  since  i860,  the 
average  size  of  the  farms  is  now  less  than  one-third  what 
it  wras  thirty  years  ago.  The  old  tenant  system,  and  the 
immense  plantations  of  former  times  are  being  broken  up 
into  smaller  farms,  and,  best  of  all,  the  farmers  here  are 
less  in  debt  than  are  those  in  any  other  section  of  the 
whole  country. 

PHYSICAL  GEOGRAPHY. 

The  surface  of  the  State,  with  the  exception  of  what  is 
known  as  the  “Yazoo  Delta,’’  is  rolling  or  undulating, 
with  a gradual  slope  from  north  to  south.  On  the  Ponto- 
toc ridge,  in  Tippah  and  Union  counties,  many  of  the  hills 
have  an  elevation  of  from  800  to  1,000  feet;  in  the  central 
portion  of  the  State  the  elevation  is  from  300  to  500  feet; 
while  near  the  southern  coast  the  gentle  undulating  sur- 
face is  only  from  twenty  to  thirty  .feet  above  the  waters  of 
the  Gulf.  In  all  of  this  region  the  land  is  well  drained, 
swamps  and  bogs  are  almost  unknown,  and  there  are  no 
stagnant  waters  to  cause  malaria.  The  ridge  which  forms 
the  main  watershed  of  the  state  rises  in  the  northern 
part,  separating  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  andtheTom- 
bigbee  rivers,  and  extends  almost  directly  southward  to 
the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  In  Choctaw  county  this  ridge  divides, 
one  branch  continuing  its  general  southerly  direction  and 
separating  the  writers  of  the  Pascagoula  and  Pearl  rivers, 
both  of  which  empty  into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico;  while  the 
other  branch  takes  a southwestern  direction,  approxi- 
mately that  followed  by  the  Illinois  Central  railroad,  and 
separates  the  waters  of  the  Pearl  from  those  which  flow 
into  the  Mississippi.  Fully  one-third  of  the  State  is 
drained  into  the  Mississippi  or  its  larger  affluents,  the 


12 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


Yazoo  and.  Big  Black.  The  generally  high  and  rolling 
table  lands  fall  off  somewhat  abruptly  in  the  western  part 
of  the  State,  and  the  low  lands  along  the  Mississippi  river 
form  what  is  known  as  the  “Yazoo  Delta/'  which  occupies 
about  one-sixth  the  area  of  the  State.  This  section  is  in- 
terlaced with  a network  of  navigable  streams,  and  has  the 
most  fertile  soil  to  be  found  in  the  whole  United  States. 
A portion  of  the  delta  lands  are  subject  to  overflows  in 
time  of  high  water,  but  there  has  been  almost  no  trouble 
from  that  cause  since  the  completion  of  the  present  levee 
system  in  1890. 

Mississippi  has  no  mineral  deposits  of  value,  and  good 
building  stone  is  found  in  only  occasional  locations. 
Marls  of  fair  quality  are  quite  common,  and  clays  for 
making  brick,  tile,  and  pottery  are  found  in  many  sections. 
In  nearly  all  parts  of  the  State  flowing  artesian  wells  may 
be  had  at  a depth  of  from  300  to  600  feet. 

CUIMATE. 

The  climate  of  Mississippi  is  warm,  but  temperate,  and 
is  subject  to  none  of  the  extremes  of  either  heat  or  cold 
which  are  common  in  the  northern  states.  The  summers 
are  long,  usually  including  May  and  September,  but  it  is 
rare  that  the  temperature  reaches  950  even  in  the  hottest 
weather:  sunstrokes  are  practically  unknown,  and  the 
nights  are  always  cool  and  pleasant.  In  the  southern  part 
of  the  State  the  heat  is  tempered  by  the  winds  which  blow 
from  the  Gulf  almost  daily,  and  nowhere  is  the  heat  so  in- 
tense, oppressive  and  exhausting  as  during  the  “hot  spells’ 
in  the  northern  states.  The  winters  are  cool  and  damp, 
though  there  are  many  days  during  the  cooler  mouths 
when  the  temperature  is  from  jo0  to  8o°.  Blizzards  and 
severe  freezes  are  unknown.  At  the  Agricultural  College 
the  lowest  temperature  during  the  past  six  years  has  been 
8°,  and  that  has  been  reached  only  once,  the  average  low- 
est temperature  for  each  winter  being  i40.  During  this 
time  the  ground  has  been  frozen  so  as  to  interfere  with 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


13 


plowing  only  twice,  and  then  for  only7  a few  days.  Further 
. south  the  winters  are  still  more  mild,  a temperature  of 
200  being  rare  on  the  Gulf  coast.  The  first  frosts  usually 
occur  in  October,  though  tomato  vines  often  remain  fresh 
through  November.  In  the  winter  of  1888-S9  no  frosts  oc- 
curred during  December,  January7,  and  February, 

Dr.  R.  B.  Fulton,  of  the  State  University,  and  Director 
of  the  State  Weather  Bureau,  summarizes  the  records  kept 
by  about  fifty  observers  in  different  parts  of  the  State  as 
follows  : 

“Over  the  State  at  large  the  normal  mean  temperatures 
during  the  several  months. of  the  year  as  shown  by  a long 
series  of  observations  are  as  follows:  January  46°,  Feb- 

ruary 5 1°,  March  56°,  April  65°,  May  720,  June  790,  JUI37 
8i°,  August  8o°,  September  740,  October  65°,  November 
53o,  December  47°. 

In  the  southern  part  of  the  State  the  normal  mean 
temperatures  for  the  several  months  are  as  follows:  Janu- 

ary 490,  February  53°,  March  58°,  April  66°,  May7  73°, 
June  8o°,July7  82°,  August  8i°,  September  760,  October  67°, 
November  56°,  December  50°. 

In  the  extreme  northern  part  of  the  State  the  normal 
mean  temperatures  for  the  several  months  are,  for  January 
40°,  February7  44?,  March  520,  April  62°,  May7  71°,  June  770, 
July  8i°,  August  78°, . September  710,  October  62°,  Novem- 
ber 48°,  December  4i0. 

In  the  central  and  northern  parts  of  the  State  the  high- 
est summer  temperature  rarely7  exceeds  ioo°.  As  this  high 
temperature  is  nearly7  always  accompanied  by  dry7  winds  it 
does  not  entail  special  inconvenience.  The  lowest  winter 
temperature  rarely  falls  below  io°.  It  reaches  zero  not 
once  in  ten  years.  Since  cold  weather  comes  always  in 
the  form  of  cold  waves  which  are  generally  predicted,  suf- 
fering from  cold  can  usually7  be  avoided.  Near  the  Gulf 
coast  the  extremes  of  temperature  from  the  lowest  in  win- 
ter to  the  highest  in  summer  are  250  and  90°. 

The  normal  rainfall  for  the  State  at  large  during  the 


14 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


several  months  of  the  year  is  as  follows,  the  numbers  de- 
noting inches:  January  5.5,  February  5.3,  March  6.1, 
April  6.4,  May  4.1,  June  4.2,  July  3.8,  August  3.9,  Sep- 
tember 3.8,  October  2.8  November  4.6,  December  5.1. 
For  the  whole  year  the  average  rainfall  over  the  entire 
State  is  56  inches.  In  the  northern  part  the  average  is  54 
inches  for  the  entire  year,  and  the  distribution  throughout 
the  year  is  about  as  indicated  for  the  State  at  large.  Along 
the  Gulf  coast  the  rainfall  is  heavier  in  the  spring  and  fall 
months  and  the  total  for  the  year  is  62  inches. 

It  will  be  noted  from  the  above  statements  that  the  rain- 
fall is  quite  uniformly  distributed  throughout  the  year. 
Very  seldom  do  growing  crops  suffer  permanent  injury  for 
lack  of  moisture. 

The  humidity  of  the  atmosphere  is  considerable  and 
plays  an  important  part  in  equalizing  the  day  and 
night  temperatures  during  the  summer  season. 

The  first  killing  frosts  in  the  fall  occur  about  the  20th 
of  October  in  the  northern  part  of  the  State*  and  about  the 
1st  of  December  in  the  southern  part.  The  latest  killing 
frosts  in  the  spring  occur  about  the  5th  of  April  in  the 
central  part  of  the  state  and  possibly  as  late  as  the  20th  of 
April  in  the  northern  part.” 

The  following  tables  are  taken  from  the  records  made  at 
the  State  Experiment  Station  during  the  last  six  years. 


meteroeogicae  summary. 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


15 


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16 


MISSISSIPPI  H AJTDBOOIC 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK, 


17 


health. 

Good,  health  is  necessary  to  success  and  happiness  in 
any  country.  Statistics  show  that,  contrary  to  a preva- 
lent idea,  Mississippi  is  really  one  of  the  most  healthy 
States  in  the  whole  country,  and  that  her  residents  enjoy 
an  immunity  from  disease  which  is  found  in  no  other  sec- 
tion. This  is  largely  owing  to  the  fact  that  cases  of  pneu- 
monia, consumption,  and  diptheria  seldom  occur  here, 
and  that  from  the  absence  of  sudden  and  extreme  changes 
in  temperature  all  diseases  of  the  throat  and  lungs  are 
rare,  and  are  seldom  severe.  Scarlet  fever,  that  scourge 
of  the  North,  is  almost  unknown  here,  and  measles  seldom 
cause  serious  trouble.  Malarial  diseases  are,  perhaps,  the 
most  common,  but  are  of  no  more  frequent  occurrence,  and 
are  no  more  severe  here  than  in  New  York  or  Illinois.  Even 
in  the  Delta  region,  which  has  had  the  reputation  of  hav- 
ing more  malaria  than  all  other  parts  of  the  State  com- 
bined, cases' of  such  diseases  are  no  more  common  than  in 
the  region  along  the  Mississippi  river  in  Iowa  or  Minne- 
sota. Yellow  fever  is  a thing  of  the  past,  and  is  no  longer 
feared.  There  has  not  been  a single  case  in  the  State 
since  1878,  and  the  present  quarantine  regulations  are  so 
well  enforced,  and  the  disease  is  now  so  well  understood 
by  physicians,  that  there  is  no  longer  any  danger  from 
another  epidemic. 

The  following  figures,  taken  from  the  last  Census 
Report,  show  the  vigorous  health  of  Mississippians: 


ANNUAL  DEATH  RATE  FOR  EACH  THOUSAND  OF  POPULATION. 

Average  for  United 


States 

15-09 

Massachusetts 

18.59 

Maryland 

18.10 

New  York 

i7>30 

Missouri 

16.89 

Tennessee 

16.80 

Virginia 

16.12 

Indiana 

I z.  77 

Texas 

I s. 

Kansas 

x 0*  / / 
1^.22 

Pensylvania 

14-92 

Illinois 

14.60 

Kentucky 

14-39 

Alabama 

14.20 

Georgia 

13-97 

Colorado 

13-10 

Mississippi 

i8 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


It  should  be  noted  that  the  figures  before  given  in- 
clude the  deaths  among  the  colored  people,  among  whom, 
especially  among  the  children,  the  death  rate  is  much 
higher  than  for  the  white  race,  so  that  the  figures  for  Missis- 
sippi, small  as  che3r  are,  are  still  too  large  to  represent  the 
number  of  deaths  among  the  whites.  Physicians  state 
that  in  the  Gulf  States  there  are  less  than  one-third  as 
many  cases  of  consumption,  pneumonia  and  other  lung 
troubles  commonly  originating  in  colds,  as  there  are  in  an 
equal  population  in  the  northern  States.  The  residents 
of  Illinois,  or  Iowa,  or  Kansas  may  well  think  what  a 
difference  the  absence  of  such  diseases  would  have  made 
in  his  own  neighborhood,  or  in  his  own  family. 

In  speaking  of  this  matter,  Bishop  Thompson,  form- 
erly of  Wisconsin,  says: 

“I  have  received  a number  of  letters  of  inquiry  in 
which  great  stress  is  laid  on  the  health  of  Mississippi.  I 
do  not  wonder  at  this,  although  there  is  ground  for  wonder 
at  the  persistent  ignorance  of  our  great  country  concern- 
ing any  other  part.  Will  you  allow  me  to  say  then,  that 
by  official,  Washington  figures,  Mississippi  is  just  one- 
third  healthier  than  New  York  and  Massachusetts;  twenty- 
five  per  cent,  healthier  than  Illinois  or  Pennsylvania  ? Its 
death  rate  is  under  thirteen  in  a thousand.  Considering 
that  half  its  population  are  colored  and  that  the  colored 
death  rate  is  half  greater  than  the  white  in  all  the  South, 
I suppose  the  ordinary  white  death  rate  in  Mississippi  is 
not  above  ten  in  a thousand,  a little  more  than  one-third 
the  death  rate  in  New  York  City. 

“In  the  letters  I have  received  there  is  frequent  men- 
tion of  marlaria,  and  a wholesome  dread  is  evidenced  of 
that  mysterious  thing  about  which  the  faculty  knows  so 
little.  I suppose  there  is  more  of  it,  whatever  it  is,  in 
New  York  City  in  a week  than  in  Mississippi  in  a year. 
At  least  I hear  more  of  its  performances  during  one  week’s 
visit  in  New  York  than  in  twelve  months  at  home.  The 
figures  I have  given  above  are  from  the  compilations  of 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


19 


the  Census  Bureau,  Department  of  Agriculture  in  Wash- 
ington. 

“My  own  experience  and  that  of  men  who  have  come 
from  the  North  to  Mississippi  is  that  it  is  a rarely  healthy 
climate  and  country,  and  that  for  delicate  people,  delicate 
in  lungs  or  throat,  with  catarrhal  or  bronchial  troubles,  it 
is  a home  of  health  and  comfort.  As  to  malaria,  that  is 
more  to  be  dreaded  in  a week  on  the  Hudson  than  in  all 
our  borders  in  a lifetime.  I can,  from  full  knowledge 
and  examinations,  and  with,  full  responsibility^  say,  that  in 
summer  or  winter,  in  spring  or  fall,  there  need  be  no  hesi- 
tation on  account  of  health  in  coming  to  Mississippi,  and 
the  delicate  and  non-robust  are  likely  to  find  here  just  the 
balmy  and  temperate  climate  which  wall  enable  them  to 
live  and  work  with  comparative  ease.” 

DAWS:  DEBT,  TEMPERANCE  AND  ERECTIONS. 

The  laws  governing  debts,  temperance,  and  elections 
are  the  most  important  of  those  governing  any  State.  The 
principal  points  in  the  laws  regarding  these  matters  in 
Mississippi  are: 

debt. 

Every  householder  having  a family  is  entitled  to  hold, 
exempt  from  seizure  or  sale  under  execution  or  attach- 
ment, the  land  and  buildings  occupied  as  a residence,  the 
amount  of  land  not  exceeding  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  and  its  value  not  exceeding  two  thousand  dollars. 
Among  the  items  of  personal  property  which  are  exempt 
are:  the  agricultural  implements  of  a farmer  necessary  for 
tyvo  laborers,  the  tools  of  a mechanic  necessary  for  carry- 
ing on  his  trade;  two  work-horses  or  mules  and  one  yoke 
of  oxen,  two  cows  and  calves,  twenty  head  of  hogs,  twenty 
sheep  or  goats,  all  poultry,  all  colts  under  three  3^ears  old 
raised  in  this  State  by  the  debtor,  two  hundred  and  fifty 
bushels  of  corn,  ten  bushels  of  wheat  or  rice,  five  hundred 
pounds  of  meat,  one  hundred  bushels  of  cotton  seed,  one 


20 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


wagon  and  one  buggy  or  cart  and  one  set  of  harness,  five 
hundred  bundles  of  fodder  and  one  thousand  pounds  of 
hay,  forty  gallons  of  sorghum  or  molasses,  one  thousand 
stalks  of  sugar  cane,  one  sugar  mill  and  equipments  not 
exceeding  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  in  value,  one 
bridle  and  saddle  and  one  side-saddle,  one  sewing  ma- 
chine, household  and  kitchen  furniture  not  exceeding  two 
hundred  dollars  in  value.  With  such  exemptions  the 
debtor  certainly  cannot  complain  of  oppression. 

TEMPERANCE. 

Liquor  selling  in  Mississippi  is  controlled  by  “local 
option”  by  counties,  and  the  plan  is  working  very  smooth- 
ly. During  the  five  years  since  the  law  went  into  opera- 
tion liquor  selling  has  been  abolished  in  all  excepting  six 
counties,  and  as  the  penalty  for  selling  without  a license 
is  very  severe,  “blind  tigers’’  are  quite  rare.  We  are 
proud  to  say  that  there  is  more  practical  prohibition  in 
Mississippi  than  any  other  State  in  the  Union. 

ELECTIONS. 

Elections  are  conducted  under  the  Australian  ballot 
system,  and  it  is  required  that  all  voters  must  have  paid  a 
poll  tax  of  two  dollars  not  later  than  February  preceeding 
the  election.  This  makes  the  purchase  of  votes,  bribery, 
and  bulldozing  practically  impossible,  and  no  elections 
anywhere  in  the  United  States  can  be  more  peaceable, 
fair  and  just  than  those  held  in  Mississippi  since  the  adop- 
tion of  the  present  constitution  in  1890.  The  Australian 
ballot. acts  as  an  educational  qualification,  and  the  two 
dollar  poll  tax,  being  payable  in  February,  prevents  the 
importation  of  voters  for  the  November  election. 

INDEBTEDNESS  AND  TAXATION. 

Although  the  price  of  cotton,  our  staple  crop,  has  de- 
clined constantly  for  man}!  years,  the  farmers  have  pros- 
pered and  their  indebtedness  has  constantly  decreased. 


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22 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


Correspondence  with  many  county  clerks  shows  that  dur- 
ing the  last  eight  years  the  number  of  mortgages  has 
decreased  from  ten  to  twenty-five  per  cent  yearly,  and  that 
a large  proportion  of  the  mortgages  now  on  record  are  for 
deferred  payments  on  newly  purchased  farms.  The  mer- 
chants tell  the  same  story  and  say  that  their  customers 
now  owe  much  less,  that  settlements  of  accounts  are  more 
prompt,  and  their  cash  trade  much  larger  than  five  years 
ago.  Instead  of  depending  on  the  sale  of  cotton  to  furnish 
all  supplies  needed  for  the  family  the  farmers  are  now 
growing  the  mules,  hay,  grain,  meat,  sugar  and  other  nec- 
essaries which  the  climate  enables  them  to  do  with  but 
little  trouble  or  expense.  In  this  way  living  expenses  have 
been  greatly  decreased  and  the  farmer  has  actually  more 
surplus  cash  than  when  cotton  brought  a higher  price 
which  was  all  expended  in  the  purchase  of  supplies  which 
he  now  produces  by  his  own  labor. 

The  following  table  has  been  compiled  from  the  Report 
of  the  Eleventh  Census,  showing  the  actual  average  per 
capita  of  the  mortgage  and  public  inddebtedness  of  the  peo- 
ple in  the  several  states,  and  it  will  be  seen  that  Missis- 
sippi occupies  the  proud  position  of  being  at  the  bottom  of 
the  list. 


Mississippi  handbook;. 


23 


RAILROADS  AND  WATERWAYS. 

Three  railroads  traverse  Mississippi  from  north  to  south, 
and  three  from  east  to  west,  and  these,  with  numerous 
branches  and  shorter  lines,  reach  nearly  every  section  in 
the  State. 

Of  the  north  and  south  lines,  the  Mobile  and  Ohio,  ex- 
tending- from  St.  Louis,  passes  through  the  eastern  part  of 
the  State  from  Corinth  to  State  Line,  and  then  on  to  Mo- 
bile. At  Muldon  it  has  a branch  to  Aberdeen;  at  Ar- 
tesia  it  has  branches  to  Columbus  and  Starkville,  and  at 
Meridian  it  connects  with  the  Queen  and  Crescent  route 
for  New  Orleans  and  Vicksburg. 

The  Illinois  Central  passes  through  the  central  part  of 
the  State  on  its  route  from  Chicago  and  St.  Louis  to  New 
Orleans.  It  has  branches  from  Grenada  to  Memphis,  from 
Durant  to  Aberdeen,  Durant  to  Tchula,  and  from  Jackson 
to  Parsons. 

The  Yazoo  and  Mississippi  Valley  road,  now  under  the 
same  management  as  the  Illinois  Central,  extends  from 
Memphis  to  New  Orleans,  passing  through  the  rich  Yazoo 
Delta  country  where  it  has  numerous  branches  which  are 
rapidly  forming  a network  over  that  entire  region. 

Of  the  east  and  west  roads,  the  Kansas  City,  Memphis 
and  Birmingham  passes  through  the  northern  part  of  the 
State,  crossing  the  Illinois  Central  at  Holly  Springs,  the 
Gulf  and  Chicago  at  New  Albany,  aud  the  Mobile  and 
Ohio  at  Tupelo. 

The  Georgia  Pacific  (Southern  Railway)  crosses  the 
State  near  the  center,  crossing  the  Illinois  Central  at  Wi- 
nona, the  Mobile  and  Ohio  at  West  Point,  and  in  the  Delta 
region,  like  the  Yazoo  route,  it  has  numerous  branches. 

The  Queen  and  Crescent  crosses  the  state  from  Vicks- 
burg- to  Meridian,  and  also  extends  southward  from  Merid- 
ian to  New  Orleans.  It  crosses  the  Illinois  Central  at 
Jackson,  and  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  at  Meridian. 

The  Louisville  and  Nashville  crosses  the  State  on  its 


24 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


route  from  New  Orleans  to  Mobile,  and  is  the  route  by 
which  the  summer  resorts  along  the  Gulf  coast  are  most 
easily  reached. 

The  Natchez,  Jackson  and  Columbus  road  connects  Jack- 
son  and  Natchez;  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  passes 
through  the  northeast  corner  of  the  State,  crossing  the  Mo- 
bile and  Ohio  at  Corinth;  the  Gulf  and  Chicago  extends 
from  the  north  line  of  the  State  southward  to  Pontotoc, 
about  midway  between  the  Illinois  Central  and  the  Mobile 
and  Ohio  roads;  the  Gulf  and  Ship  Island  extends  from 
Gulfport  northward.  The  total  mileage  in  the  State  is 
now  2,467  miles,  and  this  will  be  largely  increased  in  the 
near  future  by  the  addition  of  other  lines  which  are  now 
building. 

The  railroads  are  all  under  the  control  of  three  Railroad 
Commissioners  who  are  elected  by  the  people,  and  whose 
duty  it  is  to  regulate  freight  and  passenger  charges,  to  see 
that  the  necessary  train  and  depot  facilities  are  provided, 
and  that  both  the  roads  and  their  patrons  have  equal  jus- 
tice. 

The  numerous  waterways  of  Mississippi  add  largely  to 
her  facilities  for  transportation  The  Mississippi  and  Pearl 
rivers  form  her  western  boundary,  and  from  the  former 
there  are  a large  number  of  branches  which  intersect  the 
Delta  region  so  completely  that  in  that  section  of  the  State 
there  are  few  plantations  which  are  not  within  reach  of 
a navigable  stream.  During  a portion  of  the  )rear  the 
Pearl  river  is  navigable  as  far  north  as  Jackson,  and  boats 
from  Mobile  ascend  the  Totnbigbee  as  far  as  Columbus. 
Hundreds  of  vessels  are  engaged  in  the  carrying  trade  along 
the  Gulf  coast,  and  as  soon  as  the  Nicaragua  canal  is  com- 
pleted Biloxi  will  become  one  of  the  most  important  ship- 
ping points  in  the  South,  as  it  has  the  best  natural  harbor 
on  the  coast. 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


25 


SUMMER  RESORTS. 

The  idea  of  summer  resorts  in  Mississippi  may  be.  some- 
what novel  to  those  of  our  northern  friends  who  have  never 
visited  us  in  July  and  August,  but  they  have  become  es- 
tablished facts,  and  every  3'ear  sees  constantly  increasing 
numbers  of  northern  people  coming  here  to  take  advantage 
of  the  life-giving  air  of  our  pine  forests,  and  the  refreshing 
breezes  of  the  Gulf  coast.  For  invalids  who  have  chronic 
troubles  of  the  throat  and  lungs,  catarrh,  and  similar  dis- 
eases, no  better  region  can  be  found  than  the  pine  woods  in 
the  southern  part  of  the  State.  The  very  air  of  the  pine 
woods  seems  charged  with  healing,  while  the  daily  Gulf 
breezes  make  the  climate  cool  and  pleasant.  Twenty-four 
hours  from  Chicago  or  St.  Louis  will  place  one  in  the  very 
heart  of  of  this  country,  and  many  a broken-down  invalid 
of  the  North  has  found  fresh  life  and  renewed  youth  in  the 
pine  forests  which  cover  nearly  one-half  of  the  State. 

The  Gulf  coast,  from  Bay  St.  Louis  to  Scranton  is  one 
of  the  most  attractive  regions  in  the  whole  United  States, 
both  for  the  over-worked  business  man  who  wishes  for  a 
few  weeks  of  rest,  and  for  the  pleasure  hunter  who  wishes  to 
find  new  scenes  and  experiences.  The  summers  are  even 
cooler  than  in  the  interior  of  the  State,  the  temperature 
seldom  rising  above  930;  the  water  is  alwaj^s  warm  enough 
for  bathing,  while  the  fishing  is  all  that  any  one  could  ask. 
Erom  ten  to  fifteen  miles  of  the  coast  is  a chain  off  islands, 
Oat,  Ship  and  Elorn,  being  the  most  important,  which  form 
a natural  breakwater  in  front  of  the  coast  towns,  and  so  give 
a bodj-  of  water  which  affords  the  safest  and  most  pleasant 
sailing  and  boating  to  be  found  an37where  in  the  country. 
The  hundreds  of  pleasure  boats  and  white  sails  which  may 
be  seen  constant^  dotting  it«  surface  show  how  popular 
such  pleasures  may  become. 

The  sounds,  ba3^s  and  adjacent  streams  offer  to  the  most 
devoted  votary  of  the  rod  and  line  a field  for  sport  unsur- 
passed, and  rarely  equalled  elsewhere.  The  scientific  an- 


26 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


gler  can  hardly  wish  for  finer  opportunities  to  employ  the 
skill  he  possesses  in  his  favorite  pastime,  no  matter 
whether  he  prefers  the  tantalizing  nibble  of  the  sheep 
head,  the  exciting  rushes  of  the  bass  and  trout,  or  the  en- 
durance-testing fight  with  the  tarpon.  The  most  common 
kinds  of  the  finny  tribe  which  abound  in  these  waters  are 
the  red  fish,  jack  fish,  green  trout,  pompano,  black  bass, 
croaker,  red  snapper,  and  that  king  of  game  fish,  the  tar- 
pon or  silver  fish,  which  often  exceeds  six  feet  in  length. 

At  almost  any  time  of  the  year  game  is  abundant  in  the 
woods,  and  the  hunter  will  fare  equally  well  with  the  fish- 
erman. Deer  and  wild  turkeys  are  frequently  found,  and 
at  certain  seasons  quail  and  snipe  are  abundant.  In  the 
winter  months  the  waters  of  the  sound,  bays  and  lakes  are 
often  darkened  by  myriads  of  ducks,  and  at  such  times  the 
coast  justifies  the  claim  made  for  it  as  the  “hunters’  para- 
dise.” 

The  principal  resorts  in  this  section  are  Bay  St.  Louis, 
Pass  Christian,  Mississippi  City,  Biloxi,  Ocean  Springs 
and  vScranton,  though  within  the  last  ten  years  nearly  the 
entire  coast  has  become  a long  line  of  summer  residences. 
Biloxi  is  the  largest  town  on  the  coast,  having  a population 
of  about  5,000  in  addition  to  about  3,000  summer  visitors, 
and  perhaps  1,800  winter  visitors.  Three  miles  from  there 
is  the  “Camp  Ground,”  beautifully  equipped  for  the  pur- 
pose, where  the  Methodists  hold  an  annual  camp  meeting. 
Both  Biloxi  and  Pass  Christian  have  elegant  hotels,  and 
comfortable  quarters  at  moderate  rates  may  be  found  in 
any  of  the  towns,  though  during  the  rush  of  the  summer 
season  the  demand  for  places  is  always  in  excess  of  the 
supply. 


MINERAL  WATERS. 

Among  the  mineral  springs  and  wells  that  have  a greater 
or  less  number  of  visitors  during  the  summer  months,  may 
be  mentioned  Castalian  Springs,  near  Durant;  Cooper’s 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


27 


Wells,  near  Raymond;  luka  Springs,  at  Iuka;  Greenwood 
Springs,  near  Aberdeen;  Shin  Springs,  near  Columbus; 
Stafford  and  Donald  Springs,  near  Vossburg.  The  water 
from  a number  of  other  springs  and  wells  finds  ready  sale 
in  Mobile,  New  Orleans,  Memphis,  and  the  larger  towns 
of  our  State. 

The  quantity  as  well  as  the  quality,  of  the  mineral  mat- 
ter in  these  several  waters  is  very  variable;  most  of  them 
containing  greater  or  less  quantities  of  such  substances  as 
sulphates,  chlorides,  and  carbonates  of  sodium,  potas- 
sium, magnesium  and  calcium.  Some  of  them  contain 
sufficient  iron  to  act  distinct^  as  a tonic.  For  disorders 
arising  from  inactive  liver  or  kidneys,  some  of  these  waters 
are  said  to  possess  very  desirable  medicinal  properties; 
while  others  are  said  to  be  equally  efficacious  in  cases  of 
stomach  disorders  and  other  forms  of  indigestion. 

Castalian  Springs  is  a favorite  resort  for  the  citizens  of 
Memphis,  New  Orleans  and  Mobile,  while  Cooper’s  Wells 
is  a favorite  resort  for  the  planters  of  the  Delta  region. 

LABOR. 

Negro  labor  is  almost  the  only  kind  employed,  and  this 
is  cheap  and  plentiful,  the  usual  rates  of  wages  for  farm 
hands  being  from  $13  to  $ 15  per  month.  While  the  ordi- 
nary negro  laborer  of  the  South  is  not  as  intelligent  and 
energetic  as  is  the  white  laborer  of  the  North,  he  is  a good 
workman  under  supervision,  works  from  sunrise  to  sunset 
through  the  whole  year,  and  boards  himself.  Negro  labor 
needs  constant  watching,  but  it  is  docile  and  obedient, 
easily  managed,  and  far  less  expensive  than  white  labor. 
Labor  troubles,  bovcots  and  strikes  are  unknown  here,  and 
the  fact  that  our  laborers  always  board  themselves  relieves 
the  housekeeper  of  a great  burden.  If  the  employer  fur- 
nishes a house  and  place  for  a vegetable  garden  he  can  se- 
cure all  the  -labor  he  needs  for  $10  or  $12  per  month,  and 
as  this  keeps  the  labor  always  close  at  hand,  it  is  often  the 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


better  plan.  Negro  women  are  often  employed  for  lioeing, 
gathering  fruits  and  vegetables,  and  other  light  field  work, 
and  as  their  work  can  be  had  for  about  40  cents  per  day,  it 
is  quite  inexpensive.  Few  of  the  negroes  have  an3T  am- 
bition to  own  homes  of  their  own,  and  will  usually  remain 
on  the  same  farm  as  long  as  they  may  be  wanted,  and  re- 
ceive fair  treatment  from  their  emploj7ers.  Onthewdiole, 
the  labor  of  the  South  is  cheap  and  satisfactoiy. 

COST  OF  MOVING. 

Nearly  every  railroad  passing  through  Mississippi  is  do- 
ing everything  in  its  power  to  assist  immigrants  to  find 
satisfactory  locations  and  to  reach  them  at  the  least  possi- 
ble cost.  The  railroads  recognize  the  fact  that  they  can 
derive  a greater  final  profit  by  filling  the  country  rvith  in- 
dustrious and  productive  farmers  and  manufacturers  than 
by  charging  high  rates  to  the  incoming  settlers,  and  so 
transportation  rates  for  both  immigrants  and  their  goods 
have  been  fixed  at  the  lowest  possible  figures. 

Goods  may  be  shipped  from  St.  Touis  or  Cairo  to  nearly 
every  town  in  the  state  for  $50  per  car  load,  and  corres- 
pondingly low  rates  are  made  from  other  northern  points. 
As.  this  rate  includes  transportation  for  one  man  to  care 
for  the  stock  which  may  form  a part  of  the  carload,  the 
expense  for  moving  is  certainly  very  low.  No  one  should 
bring  his  famil}'-  to  this,  or  to  auy  other  new  country, 
without  first  looking  over  the  land  and  determining  just 
where  he  wants  to  settle.  The  railroads  recognize  this 
fully,  and  have  arranged  for  frequent  excursions  at  very 
low  rates  which  enable  the  home-seeker  to  spend  a month 
in  looking  at  different  parts  of  the  State,  in  becoming  ac- 
quainted in  different  localities,  and  in  deciding  upon  just 
the  place  which  he  may  think  most  desirable  for  his  future 
home.  Two  or  more  of  these  home-seekers’  trains  are  run 
monthly,  and  special  trains  may  be  secured  by  large  par- 
ties at  any  time.  The  intending  immigrant  should  corres- 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


29 


pond  with  some  of  the  real  estate  agents  whose  addresses 
are  given  in  the  closing  pages  of  this  book,  and  then  should 
always  inspect  and  examine  the  land  for  himself  before 
purchasing. 

With  the  very  low  rates  at  which  the  household  goods 
may  be  shipped  it  will  usually  be  much  the  better  plan  for 
the  immigrant  to  bring  a large  part  of  his  movables  with 
him,  rather  than  to  purchase  everything  on  his  arrival 
here.  As  a car  load  contains  24,000  pounds,  and  its  trans- 
portation costs  only  $50,  the  cost  per  pound  for  the  goods 
brought  is  less  than  one- fifth  of  a cent.  In  other  words, 
if  goods  cannot’  be  sold  at  fair  prices,  and  are  worth  20 
cents  per  hundred  pounds,  they  are  worth  bringing.  It  has 
been  the  experience  of  almost  every  one  who  has  made 
such  a move,  that  he  brought  too  little,  rather  than  too 
much.  Of  course  it  is  seldom  that  a single  family  will 
wish  to  fill  a whole  car,  but  as  a number  of  families  usually 
come  together  it  is  easy  to  fill  whatever  cars  m'ay  be 
needed,  and  so  lessen  the  expenses  for  all.  One  hundred 
dollars  will  transport  an  ordinary  family  and  its  household 
goods  from  St.  L,ouis  or  Gincinuati  to  any  town  in  Missis- 
sippi. 


COST  OF  TAXI). 

The  cost  of  laud  in  Mississippi  is  much  less  than  in  the 
North,  and  very  much  less  than  it  will  be  a few  years 
hence.  In  former  times,  when  cotton  was  almost  the  only 
crop  grown  for  market,  one  man  could  easily  supervise  the 
work  on  a plantation  of  from  1,000  to  3,000  acres,  and 
large  plantations  were  then  the  rule.  With  the  introduc-' 
tion  of  new  crops  and  the  consequent  greater  diversifica- 
tion of  labor,  additional  Supervision  became  necessary, 
and  the  breaking  up  of  the  old  extensive  plantations  became 
a natural  result.  Instead  of  one  white  man  to  supervise 
perhaps  2,000  acres,  from  five  to  ten  are  now  needed,  and 
the  old  planters  are  finding  it  more  profitable  to  sell  a por- 


3° 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


tion  of  their  lands  and  to  use  the  money  thus  secured  in 
the  purchase  of  improved  stock  and  implements,  in  start- 
ing new  enterprises,  and  in  intensifying  their  work  on 
fewer  acres.  This  change  in  system  has  thrown  many 
thousands  of  acres  of  choice  farming  lands  onto  the  market 
at  lower  prices  than  ever  known  before. 

Good,  improved  lands,  convenient  to  schools,  churches 
and  railroads  can  now  be  purchased  for  from  $10  to  $15 
per  acre,  while  wild  lands  with  more  or  less  timber  on 
them  may  be  had  at  half  those  prices.  In  the  southern 
part  of  the  State,  and  at  some  distance  from  the  railroads, 
government  lands  may  still  be  found  which  can  soon  be 
made  into  farms  the  equal  of  any  in  the  country.  As  has 
already  been  said,  the  greater  number  of  farms  now  in  the 
market  are  the  result  of  the  dividing  up  of  the  large  plan- 
tations, and  as  few  of  the  present  owners  wish  to  leave  their 
homes,  a majority  of  the  farms  for  sale  have  but  few  good 
buildings  or  improvements  beyond  the  fences.  There  are 
few  tracts  of  more  than  100  acres  which  do  not  have  cabins 
for  laborers,  and  occasionally  good  dwelling  houses  with 
out-buildings,  gardens,  and  orchards,  will  be  for  sale,  but 
usually  the  purchaser  will  have  to  erect  his  own  buildings. 
And  in  the  end,  this  is  the  better  plan,  especially  where 
buildings  can  be  erected  so  cheaply. 

In  speaking  of  this  matter,  a recent  issue  of  the  Progress- 
Review , of  La  Porte,  Iowa,  says: 

“Land  in  Iowa  $40  per  acre,  land  in  Mississippi  $20  per 
acre.  Both  are  equally  well  improved.  Five  months 
winter  in  Iowa,  two  months  winter  in  Mississippi.  One 
month  to  plant  corn  in  Iovra,  four  months  to  plant  corn  in 
Mississippi.  Two  w^eeks  to  sow  oats  in  Iowa,  six  months 
to  sow  oats  in  Mississippi.  Stock  fed  on  grass  six  months 
in  Iowrn  and  ten  mouths  in  Mississippi.  Good  horses  are 
W'orth  from  $40  to  $75  in  Iowa  and  from  $75  to  $125  in 
Mississippi.  Cattle,  hogs  and  grain  about  the  same  in 
both  states.  Iowa  growrs  but  few  kinds  of  fruit  successfully, 
Mississippi  growrs  all  kinds  in  abundance.  Lumber  in 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


31 


Iowa  from  $16  to  $40  per  1,000  and  from  $4  to  $10  in  Mis- 
sissippi. Real  estate  cannot  advance  in  value  in  Iowa  but 
will  increase  100  per  cent  in  Mississippi  within  the  next 
five  years.  Iowa  markets  are  controlled  by  Chicago;  Mis- 
sissippi has  the  markets  of  the  world  within  easy  reach. 

Remember  that  in  making  this  comparison  I have  given 
the  lowest  price  at  which  land  can  be  purchased  in  Iowa 
with  old  improvements,  while  I have  givpn  the  highest 
priced  land  in  Mississippi  with  new  improvements.  There 
are  thousands  of  acres  of  laud  which  can  be  bought  for 
much  less,  which  are  equally  as  good  as  the  average  Iowa 
lands.  These  bargains  are  being  taken  rapidly  and  the 
man  who  can  take  advantage  of  them  now  is  certainly  in 
luck.  Cheap  lands  in  the  United  States  will  soon  be  a 
thing  of  the  past.  How  often  do  we  hear  the  remark 
made  (by  men  who  could  have  bought  laud  in  Iowa  or 
even  where  the  city  of  Chicago  now  stands  at  low  prices) 
‘if  I had  only  invested  I might  now  have  been  independ- 
ently rich.’  Just  as  good  chances  are  within  your  reach. 
Will  you  improve  the  opportunity?  Don't  let  some  old 
chronic  growler  hold  you  back,  don’t  take  my  word  for  it, 
but  go  and  see  for  jmueself.  The  cost  will  be  small.  If 
you  go  you  will  invest.  If  you  invest  3rou  will  double  your 
money  within  three  years.  Young  men  -who  can  save  a 
few  dollars  each  month  might  organize  a company  on  the 
loan  association  plan  and  secure  a large  tract  of  land  which 
would  make  them  monej''  faster  than  any  speculation  they 
could  go  into.  Remember  your  mone}r  would  be  in  real 
estate  and  controlled  by  yourselves  and  not  by  a board  of 
directors  whom  you  know  nothing  of.  A failure  would  be 
impossible,  success  would  be  sure.” 

COST  OF  BUIUDING. 

The  cost  of  building  in  Mississippi  is  much  less  than  in 
the  North.  Our  climate  is  so  warm  that  double  floors  and 
Walls  are  not  needed,  and  lumber  can  be  had  at  moderate 


32 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


prices  in  all  parts  of  the  State.  Ordinary  rough  building 
and  fiaraing  lumber  costs  from  $5  to  $8  per  1,000  feet  at 
the  mills,  and,  in  the  southern  half  of  the  State  at  least, 
there  is  scarcely  a location  where  a mill  cannot  be  found 
within  five  miles.  Dressed  lumber  can  be  had  at  any 
railroad  station  for  from  $11  to  $15  per  1,000,  and  no  better 
lumber  than  our  native  yellow  pine  can  be  found  any- 
where. Ordinary  carpenters  and  bricklayers  cost  about  $2 
per  day , and  comfortable  houses  can  be  erected  for  from 
$500  to  $1,000.  The  writer  has  recently  built  four  houses, 
each  32  by  40  feet,  wnth  four  rooms,  hall,  closets,  an  eight- 
foot  porch  along  the  whole  front,  a 12  by  20  detached 
building  for  kitchen  and  servant’s  room,  and  good  cemented 
brick  cisterns.  These  houses  cost,  including  two  coats  of 
paint,  papering  and  all  expenses,  less  than  $800  each.  A 
good  two-story  frame  house  with  ten  rooms  and  all  con- 
veniences can  be  built  for  from  $1,500  to  $1,800,  wrhile 
comfortable  two-roomed  cottages  for  laborers  can  be  built 
at  a cost  of  from  $75  to  $100.  Barns  and  sheds  for  stock 
are  correspondingly  inexpensive  as  they  do  not  need  to  be 
built  for  a protection  from  cold,  but  merely  to  shelter  the 
stock  and  feed  from  wdnd  and  rain.  Good  fences  can  be 
built  at  a cost  of  not  more  than  $100  per  mile 

COST  OF  DIVING. 

The  first  cost  of  making  a home  in  Mississippi  is  not 
only  less  than  in  the  North,  but  it  costs  less  to  support  the 
home  and  the  family  here  than  it  does  in  a country  where 
winter  is  the  rule,  and  summer  only  an  interlude.  The 
three  largest  items  of  expense  for  every  family  are  build- 
ings, clothing  and  food.  The  small  necessary  expense  for 
building  has  been  mentioned  above,  and  does  not  need  to 
be  repeated  here. 

Individual  articles  of  clothing  cost  about  the  same  here 
as  in  the  North,  but  the  total  amount  of  clothing  needed 
here  is  much  less,  and  wdiat  is  needed  is  the  less  expensive 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


33 


articles.  The  furs,  heavy  woolens,  and  other  expensive 
items  of  winter  clothing  are  not  needed  here,  and  clothing 
of  the  cheaper  cotton  fabrics  is  all  that  is  wanted  during 
the  greater  part  of  the  year.  Underclothing  of  wool  is 
frequently  worn,  but  the  heavy  wraps  and  double  suits 
worn  in  the  North  are  wholly  unnecessary.  Fuel  costs  but 
little,  and  little  is  needed.  Carpets  are  much  less  essential 
to  comfort  than  in  the  North,  and  are  much  less  used.  The 
immigrant  should  bring  with  him  whatever  winter  clothing 
he  may  have,  for  our  winter  climate  is  more  damp  than 
that  of  the  North,  and  during  the  first  winter  here  the  cold 
is  felt  almost  as  much  as  there,  but  we  venture  to  say  that 
the  heavy  winter  clothing  which  may  be  brought  and  used 
for  one  or  two  winters  will  seldom  be  replaced. 

The  same  may  be  said  in  regard  to  the  cost  of  food. 
Meat,  flour,  tea,  coffee  and  sugar  cost  the  same  here  that 
they  do  in  the  North,  but  with  our  milder  climate  we  need 
less  of  these,  and  use  a larger  proportion  of  vegetables  and 
fruits  which  are  grown  at  home,  and  so  cost  no  cash  out- 
lay. From  the  experience  of  many  who  have  lived  in  both 
places,  we  are  confident  that  the  expenses  here,  for  the 
three  items  mentioned,  are  not  more  than  two-thirds  what 
they  are  in  Kansas  or  Nebraska. 

With  such  small  expenses  for  living,  with  our  light  taxes 
and  cheap  labor,  this  is  one  of  the  best  places  in  the  whole 
country  for  a man  of  energy,  pluck  and  limited  means,  to 
make  for  himself  a comfortable  home. 

SOCIAL  TREATMENT  OF  IMMIGRANTS. 

On  his  arrival  here  the  immigrant  may  be  sure  of  a 
cordial  welcome.  Doors  will  be  opened  to  him,  and  friendly 
hands  extended  from  every  side.  His  political  opinions 
will  not  be  asked,  and  his  character  as  a man  is  the  only 
thing  which  will  decide  his  social  standing.  One  recent 
immigrant  from  Illinois  writes:  “No  one  who  comes  here 
from  anywhere,  desiring  to  make  his  home  here,  can  fail 


34 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


to  find  a warm  welcome  and  every  benefit  of  citizenship 
which  he  is  entitled  to  or  would  have  anywhere.  Nowhere 
else  have  I been  made  so  fully  and  sincerely  at  home,  and 
nowhere  else  have  I found  people  so  little  disposed  to  med- 
dlesomeness of  any  sort,  while  there  is  no  limit  to  the 
helpfulness  which  they  extend  to  all  who  come  here.”  An 
Iowa  man  writes:  ‘‘We  like  the  people.  We  were  never 
treated  more  kindly.  ” Another  Illinois  man  writes:  “Mr. 
hauchlie  said  to  me  a few  weeks  since,  that  he  came  here 
without  means,  and  that  he  had  in  eight  years  bought  480 
acres  of  land,  paid  for  it,  and  had  about  him  every  comfort 
of  life,  and  that  if  his  old  comrades  in  arms  about  Spring- 
field  could  know  of  his  prosper^,  and  how  he  has  been 
aided  by  his  southern  neighbors,  they  would  surely  come 
to  the  South.”  A Minnesota  man  writes:  “I  find  the  peo- 
ple social,  hospitable,  and  neighborly,  and  doing  all  in 
their  power  to  invite  immigration.”  Still  another  Illinois 
man  says  “As  for  the  people  of  the  South,  they  are  as  kind 
and  friendly,  and  more  hospitable  than  those  at  the  North, 
and  northern  people  may  feel  as  secure  both  of  property 
and  person  as,  we  will  say,  in  ‘Old  Vermont.’”  The 
writer  of  this  pamphlet  was  born  and  educated  in  the  North, 
and  served  in  a Wisconsin  regiment  during  the  war. 
He  has  lived  in  the  South  more  than  twenty  years,  and 
during  all  that  time  his  warmest  personal  and  business 
friends  have  been  among  old  Confederate  soldiers.  He 
has  voted  at  every  election  possible,  and  not  always  for  the 
same  political  party,  and  he  has  never  been  asked  how  he 
voted. 

Political  faith  and  place  of  birth  in  no  way  affect  social 
standing  in  Mississippi,  and  all  immigrants  who  intend  to 
become  Mississippians  and  to  aid  in  making  the  State  more 
prosperous,  her  homes  more  happy,  and  her  broad  acres 
more  productive,  may  be  sure  of  a hearty  welcome.  We 
do  not  care  for  immigrants  who  do  not  come  here  to  work, 
or  who  may  come  expecting  to  make  their  living  at  the  ex- 
pense of  others.  We  have  no  use  for  communists  and  an- 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


35 


archists,  for  speculators  and  ‘‘Carpet-baggers,”  but  we  do 
want  independent  and  industrious  home  makers.  We  are 
glad  to  be  able  to  say  that  nearly  all  the  immigrants  who 
are  now  coming  into  the  State  in  such  numbers  are  of  just 
the  class  we  want — native  Americans  who  are  making 
homes  for  themselves  and  their  children. 

There  is  no  doubt  that  the  South  is  the  coming  sec- 
tion of  the  United  States.  The  Boston  Journal  of  Com- 
merce has  recently  said:  “We  predict  that  the  child  is 

now  born  who  wiU  see  more  wealth  in  the  South  than 
in  anj-  other  portion  of  the  world.”  Let  us  believe 
its  prediction  is  true,  and  let  us  hope  that  our  Mississippi 
farmers  will  sell  off  their  surplus  lands,  read  the  papers, 
turn  over  a new  leaf  in  a new  book  and  learn  to  farm  sci- 
entifically. We  want  more  settlers  to  come  among  us — 
settlers  who  will  be  our  friends  and  helpers,  and  not  our 
tenants  and  slaves. 


36 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


CHURCHES. 

The  strong  religious  tendencies  of  the  people  of  Missis- 
sippi is  shown  in  the  fact  that  out  of  a total  population  of 
1,289,600,  no  less  than422, 010,  or  nearly  one-half  of  the  adult 
population,  are  members  of  some  church.  Wherever  a 
settlement  is  formed,  a church  building  follows  soon,  and 
it  often  precedes  the  school-house.  Mississippians  are  not 
all  of  them  saints,  and  there  is  sin  and  wickedness  in  this 
State  as  well  as  elsewhere,  but  our  native  whites  have  a 
high  standard  of  morality,  the}'-  are  just  in  their  dealings 
with  their  neighbors,  observe  the  Sabbath,  and  are  a law- 
abiding  people.  The  immigrant  wrill  find  neighbors  of  his 
own  denomination  in  almost  every  little  town,  and  the 
Sunday  school  as  flourishing  as  the  church. 

The  strength  of  the  different  leading  denominations  is 
as  follows: 


DENOMINATIONS. 

ORGANI- 

ZATIONS. 

BUILD- 

INGS. 

MEMBERS. 

VALUE  OF 

b’ldings. 

Presbyterian .... 

204 

12,430 

$ 426,290 

Baptist 

. 1,611 

2,619 

222,680 

1,408,732 

Episcopalians . . . . 

68 

63 

3.560 

322,960 

Methodist 

• 1.855 

1,866 

163,169 

1,644,869 

Universalist . . . . . 

3 

3 

120 

800 

Congregational.  . 

35 

34 

L55I 

12,375 

Jewish . 

6 

6 

1.370 

64,000 

Roman  Catholic. 

67 

67 

11,348 

32i,525 

All  others  ....=.. 

. 114 

1 12 

5,812 

55,672 

Total 

• 4.987 

4.974 

422,010 

$ 4,257,223 

WHO  SHOULD  GO  SOUTH. 

Mr.  C.  W.  Ravlin,  of  Iowa,  has  recently  made  an  ex- 
haustive study  of  the  opportunities  and  resources  which 
the  South  offers,  and  gives  the  following  good  advice: 

“The  man  who  has  money  to  invest  where  it  will  pay  at 
least  25  per  cent,  per  annum  for  the  next  five  years  should 
go  south  and  buy  land.  This  must  be  the  natural  conclu 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


37 


sion  after  a thorough  investigation,  old  time  prejudices 
cannot  change  cold  facts. 

The  man  who  owns  a small  farm  in  the  North  or  one 
which  is  heavily  incumbered,  should  sell  out,  take  what 
he  has  left  and  go  to  the  South  where  he  can  purchase  double 
the  amount  of  land  and  be  free  from  debt. 

The  man  who  has  a little  place  in  town  and  works 
night  and  day,  when  work  is  to  be  had,  to  keep  soul  and 
body  together,  should  sell  out,  go  south  and  get  a forty  or 
eighty-acre  farm  free  from  debt  and  where  he  can  at  least 
have  all  the  necessaries  of  life  and  in  the  end  die  at  home. 

The  young  man  who  has  a few  hard  earned  dollars 
laid  by  should  invest  them  in  southern  lands  instead  of  be- 
ing persuaded  to  go  in  debt  for  a $40  or  $50  per  acre  farm 
where  the  winters  are  seven  months  long. 

In  fact  any  man  or  woman  who  has  money  enough  to 
buy  an  acre  of  land  in  the  world  cannot  do  better  than  in- 
vest in  southern  lands. 

WHO  SHOUDD  NOT  GO  SOUTH. 

The  man  who  expects  to  get  a farm  of  the  finest  land 
in  the  world,  with  fine  buildings,  or  in  other  words,  under 
a fine  state  of  cultivation,  for  $5  or  $10  per  acre,  should  not 
go  as  he  will  be  disappointed.  You  cannot  buy  gold  dol- 
lars for  25  cents  even  in  the  South. 

The  man  who  has  an  exalted  idea  of  himself  and  ex- 
pects to  find  a land  of  darkness  where  ignorance  and  crime 
abound,  should  not  go,  as  he  would  be  terribly  mistaken. 
He  will  find  a class  of  people  who,  for  intelligence  are  not 
surpassed  by  any  in  the  world. 

A violator  of  the  law  should  by  all  means  keep  out  of 
the  South,  as  all  laws  are  enforced  to  the  ver}r  letter. 
When  a person  is  convicted  of  violation  of  a criminal  law 
and  a fine  assessed,  he  either  pa}rs  it  then  and  there  or  goes 
onto  the  streets  or  other  public  works  where  he  settles  the 
bill  at  the  rate  of  50  cents  per  day  at  hard  labor,  paying 
out  of  that  to  the  State  for  board  during  that  time  37  Yz 
cents  per  day  which  leaves  his  net  earnings  per  day  to  be 


38 


Mississippi  handbook;. 


credited  on  fine  12 % cents.  Yea,  verity,  “the  way  of  the 
transgressor  is  hard  in  the  South.” 


WHAT  THE  SOUTH  IS  DOING. 


Mississippi  is  but  one  of  the  thirteen  southern  states, 
every  one  of  which  must  partake  of  the  prosperity  of  all 
the  others.  To  show  the  rapid  growth  and  general  pros- 
perity of  the  whole  southern  country,  We  take  the  following 
figures  from  the  Manufacturers'  Record , of  Baltimore: 


Railroad  mileage 

Yield  of  Cotfon,  bales. . . 

Yield  of  Grain,  bushels 

Coal  mined,  tons 

Pig  Iron  produced,  tons 

Nunber  of  Cotton  Mills  . 

Number  of  Spindles 

Number  of  Looms 

Capital  Invested  in  Cotton  Mills. . . 
Capital  Invested  in  Cotton  Oil  Mills 

Number  of  Cotton  Oil  Mills 

Lumber  Sawed  and  Planed,  value  of 
Lumber  Sawed  and  Planed,  capita! . 
Value  of  Property,  per  Census  Report 

Farm  Assets 

Value  of  Farm  Products 

Capital  Invested  in  Manufacturing. . 
Value  of  Manufactured  Product. . . . 


1880 

50,612 

5.755.000 
431,000,000 

6.049.000 
397^301 

161 

. 667,000 
14,323 
$21,976,713 
$3,504,000 
40 

$45,938,100 

•$16,902,644 

$7,611,000,000 

$2;3i4,ooo,ooo 

$666,000,000 

$257,244,000 

$457,454,777 


1894 

46,900 
9,500,000 
9,500,000 
30,000,000 
*1,560,000 
425 
3,00,000 
68,000 
1$  107,900,000 
$30,000,000 
300 

t$i  14,746,674 
t$82,6o4,395 
t$n,534,26i,ooo 
f$3, 1 82, 000, 000 
t$  850,000,000 
t$8oo,ooo,ooo 
+$1,000,000,000 


*1893  tCensus  of  1890  f Estimate  based  on  1890  census. 


Congressman  Kyle,  of  Panola  county,  says  that  he  had 
not  in  the  last  twenty-five  years  known  the  farmers  of  both 
races  in  his  county  to  be  in  as  good  condition  as  they  are 
this  year,  or  to  be  as  free  from  debt,  as  well  provisioned  or 
as  well  suppled  with  money.  A similar  report  conies  from 
ever}’  section  of  the  State.  While  the  farmers  have  re- 
ceived a poor  price  for  their  cotton,  it  was  cheaply  raised, 
compared  to  some  past  crops,  and  they  have  raised  food 
crops  in  great  abundance,  and  will  not  be  compelled  to 
send  to  St.  Eouis  for  their  bread  and  meat,  or  to  New  Or- 
leans for  their  rice  and  molasses.  The  farmers  of  Missis- 


sippi are  really  in  better  condition  to-day  than  at  any  time 
since  the  war.  The  outlook  is  not  gloomy,  as  some  old 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


39 


croakers  try  to  make  it  appear,  for  there  is  plenty  in  the 
land. 


GRASSES  AND  FORAGE  PLANTS. 

Successful  agriculture  must  ahvays  depend  upon  the 
growing  of  grasses  and  forage  plants  for  the  feeding  of 
stock  and  for  green  manuring,  and  nowhere  in  the  country 
can  such  crops  be  grown  with  greater  ease  and  certainty 
than  in  Mississippi.  When  the  northern  man  first  comes 
to  this  part  of  the  country  he  misses  the  timothy  meadows 
and  the  bluegrass  pastures  to  which  he  has  been  accus- 
tomed, and  because  he  does  not  see  them,  too  often  jumps 
to  the  conclusion  that  this  is  not  a grass-growing  country’. 
It  is  true  that  we  do  not  have  many  broad  meadows  and 
hay  fields,  such  as  are  seen  in  the  North,  but  it  is  because 
we  do  not  need  them,  because  we  can  cut  hay — and  good 
hay  too — on  almost  any  of  our  lands,  and  at  almost  any 
time  during  eight  months  of  the  3’ear.  In.  the  North  the 
farmer  can  cut  no  other  crop  from  the  land  w’here  he  cuts 
his  hay,  but  here  we  can.  and  do,  cut  from  two  to  three 
tons  per  acre  from  land  from  which  oats,  wheat,  or  some 
other  early  crop  has  been  harvested;  and  this  without  the  ex- 
pense of  plowing  or  seeding.  Some  }rears  ago  when  I had 
seen  less  of  Mississippi  than  I have  now,  I urged  one  of 
my  friends,  an  old  Illinois  farmer,  who  lives  at  Ocean 
Springs,  and  who  had  been  there  for  some  years,  to  plant 
some  of  the  cultivated  grasses  of  the  North,  and  even  of- 
fered to  furnish  the  seed  if  he  would  do  so.  His  reply  was 
that  he  did  not-  want  the  seed  and  could  not  afford  to  plant 
it.  He  said:  “Last  year  I had  twenty. acres  of  cucumbers 
in  my  peach  orchard,  and  after  harvesting  the  crop  I kept 
the  ground  clean  around  the  trees  and  then  cut  from  the 
field  thirty-five  tons  of  as  fine  hay  as  I ever  used,  and  that 
is  good  enough  grass  for  me.”  Of  course  he  was  right  in 
declining  my  offer,  for  his  hay  cost  him  absolutely  nothing 
but  the  harvesting. 


4o 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


We  can  grow  grass  as  cheaply  and  easily  as  it  can  be 
done  anywhere  in  the  world.  We  can  cut  from  two  to 
four  good  crops  from  such  lands  as  we  give  to  hay-grow- 
ing, and  can  make  one  good  crop  on  any  of  our  land,  even 
our  cornfields  giving  us  a good  yield  of  pea  vine  hay  if  we 
take  the  trouble  to  plant  the  seed.  Bermuda  is  the  staple 
grass  for  both  hay  and  pasture.  It  grows  well  all  through 
the  South,  will  make  from  two  to  four  tons  per  acre,  and  the 
hay  is  fine,  tender,  and  nutritious.  During  the  summer  it 
gives  the  best  of  pasture,  and  is  uninjured  by  the  longest 
drouths,  while  its  feeding  value  is  fully  equal  to  that  of  the 
best  timothy.  Johnson  grass  makes  excellent  hay,  and 
will  outyield  any  other,  but  is  difficult  to  kill.  Orchard 
grass  and  red-top  grow  well  here;  and  remain  fresh  and 
green  through  the  winter,  making  excellent  pastures. 
Chicken  corn,  a kind  of  sorghum  which  has  been  natural- 
ized in  a large  part  of  the  state,  yields  an  immense  amount 
of  good  hay  when  cut  before  it  has  grown  too  large.  It 
makes  its  growth  quite  late  in  the  season,  principally  in 
September,  and  frequently  takes  possession  of  a field  from 
which  other  crops  have  been  harvested.  We  have  cut 
three  tons  per  acre  of  this  hay  from  land  from  which  we 
had  already  cut  two  good  crops  of  red  clover  during  the  same 
season.  Timothy,  the  stand-by  for  northern  hay-growers, 
is  of  very  little  value  here. 

Red  clover  is  the  only  leguminous  plant  wich  is  grown 
as  a regular  farm  crop  in  the  North,  but  here  wre  have  no 
less  than  five  such  crops,  red  clover,  alfalfa,  melilotus,  cow 
peas,  and  lespedeza,  some  of  which  is  suited  to  any  soil, 
condition,  or  season.  Red  clover  succeeds  admirably  on 
all  lime  soils  which  are  in  good  condition.  At  the  Exper- 
iment Station  its  5ueld  has  averaged  over  three  tons  per 
acre  during  the  last  three  years,  and  in  1894  a good  crop 
of  seed  was  secured  in  addition  to  two  crops  of  hay.  If 
sown  late  in  August  or  early  in  September  it  will  grow 
through  the  winter,  and  in  May  will  yield  from  two  to 
three  tons  per  acre.  In  July  it  will  ripen  a good  crop  of 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK, 


41 


seed,  and  will  yield  another  small  cutting  of  hay  in  Octo- 
ber. It  is  especially  valuable  on  the  black  prairie  soils, 
and  is  there  the  best  fertilizing  crop  which  can  be  grown. 

Alfalfa  is  of  comparatively  recent  introduction,  but 
promises  well  on  all  soils  which  have  an  open  and  porous 
subsoil.  Our  winters  are  so  mild  that  it  continues  to  grow 
and  furnish  good  pasture  during  our  coldest  months,  and 
during  the  summer  it  will  give  from  three  to  five  cuttings 
of  hay  on  any  suitable  soil,  and  on  rich,  well  drained  bot- 
tem  lands  as  many  as  eight  cuttings  are  made  annually. 
During  the  early  part  of  the  season  good  cuttings  have 
been  made  as  often  as  every  thirty-five  days,  and  even 
monthly  cuttings  are  made  on  specially  favorable  locations 
along  the  Mississippi  river.  Col.  W.  B.  Montgomery,  of 
Starkville,  who  has  the  largest  herd  of  registered  Jersey 
cattle  in  the  South,  if  not  in  the  United  States,  has  grown 
alfalfa  with  wonderful  success  on  the  “white  lime”  lands, 
individual  plants  sending  up  more  than  fifty  stems  and 
producing  seed  within  nine  months  from  the  time  the  seed 
were  planted.  Alfalfa  seems  admirably  adapted  for  culti- 
vation on  all  the  alluvial  and  “white  lime”  lands,  on  the 
creek  and  river  bottom  lands,  and  on  all  soils  where  the 
subsoil  is  light  and  open.  On  the  heavier  and  more  com- 
pact soils  of  the  “black  prairie”  region,  red  clover  will 
usually  be  found  to  be  the  better  forage  plant. 

Melilotus,  the  old  “Sweet  Clover”  of  the  North,  be- 
comes a valuable  hay  and  pasture  plant  in  the  South,  and 
thousands  of  acres  of  it  are  grown  in  northern  and  central 
Mississippi.  It  grows  well  on  the  thinnest  and  poorest  of 
lime  soils,  making  heavy  crops  on  lands  not  suited  to  the 
growth  of  red  clover.  It  makes  a good  winter  pasture,  ex- 
cellent hay;  and  is  the  most  valuable  plant  we  have  for  use 
as  a green  fertilizer  for  plowing  under  on  thin  lime  lands. 
It  is  especially  valuable  in  the  “black  prarie”  region,  on 
soils  which  have  become  so  compacted  by  continuous  cul- 
tivation in  hoed  crops  as  to  suffer  from  want  of  drainage. 
It  will  grow  on  the  white  “bald”  spots  which  occur  in 


42 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


nearly  all  the  lime  lands,  and  soon  covers  them  with  a coat- 
ing of  humus,  loosens  up  the  hard  subsoil,  and  quickly 
brings  the  land  into  a condition  for  cultivation. 

Cow  peas  are  grown  more  widely  than  any  other  single 
crop  for  both  hay  and  for  green  manuring.  Some  varieties 
require  a whole  season  for  their  full  maturity,  while  others 
will  ripen  a crop  in  any  two  months  of  hot  weather.  When 
grown  for  hay,  the  yield  is  usually  from  two  to  four  tons 
per  acre,  and  after  the  hay  crop  is  removed  the  roots  which 
are  left  in  the  soil  are  worth  nearly  or  quite  as  much  as 
those  of  red  clover  for  fertilizing.  When  grown  for  seed 
the  yield  varies  from  ten  to  twenty  bushels  per  acre,  accord- 
ing to  variety  and  cultivation.  The  hay  made  from  them 
is  usually  more  or  less  mixed  with  crab-grass,  and  makes 
the  best  of  feed  for  mules  and  cows.  Many  planters  keep 
their  teams  on  this  hay  alone,  and  claim  that -good  pea-vine 
hay  is  far  better  than  the  ordinary  feed  of  mixed  hay  and 
grain. 

Tespedeza  grows  naturally  in  all  parts  of  the  state, 
“coming  in’’  on  the  hills  and  roadsides  where  nQ  other 
plants  will  grow.  It  is  an  annual  which  never  causes 
trouble  as  a weed,  but  which  seems  designed  for  occupying 
the  waste  places  and  for  covering  neglected  spots  with  a 
forage  plant  equal  in  value,  pound  for  pound,  with  the 
best  of  clover.  It  will  grow  on  the  poorest  and  thinnest  of 
clay  soils,  but  of  course  will  do  better  on  soil  which  is  in 
good  condition,  where  it  often  makes  a yield  of  more  than 
two  tons  per  acre. 

Alsike  clover  grows^well  on  low  grounds,  bearing  our 
heaviest  frosts  without  injury,  and  producing  a heavy  crop 
of  seed.  The  growing  of  red  clover,  alfalfa,  and  Alsike 
for  seed  are  industries  which  have  received  no  attention 
here  until  recently,  but  from  the  favorable  results  already 
secured  many  planters  are  turning  their  attention  in  that 
direction,  several  clover  hullers  have  recently  been  pur- 
chased, and  Mississippi  promises  soon  to  become  an  impor- 
tant center  of  seed  distribution. 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


43 


From  a recent  publication  (Farmers’  Bulletin  18)  of 
the  U.  S.  Department  of  Agriculture  ve  make  the  follow- 
ing summary,  showing  the  very  large  number  of  grasses 
which  succeed  well  in  Mississippi : 


On  yellow  loam  soils.  In  permane  t meadows  on  rich 
land,  Bermuda  grass;  for  a hay  crop  to  noccupy  the  ground 
two  year's,  red  clover;  for  a single  hay  crop  on  fair 
soils,  cowT  peas;  on  poor  soils,  lespedeza.  In  permanent 
pastures,  bermuda  grass  and  lespedeza,  to  which  may  be 
added  on  dry  soils  orchard  grass,  Hungarian  brome  grass, 
and  bur  clover;  on  -wet  soils  the  addition  consists  of  red 
top,  water  grass,  and  alsike  cloyer.  Rescue  grass,  Terrell 
grass,  and  hairy  vetch  are  used  for  winter  pastures. 

On  alluvial  and  river-bottom  soils.  For  permanent 
meadow's,  Bermuda  grass  and  red  clover:  on  wet  spots,  red 
top;  on  all  well-drained  soils,  alfalfa.  For  a hay 
crop  for  a single  season,  lespedeza  or  German  millet. 
For  pastures,  Bermuda  grass,  lespedeza,  red  top,  alsike 
clover,  bur  clover,  alfalfa,  Japanese  rye  grass,  large  water 
grass,  and  Terrell  grass. 

On  black  prairie  soil.  For  hay,  Bermuda  grass,  red 
clover,  and  melilotus.  For  a haj*  crop  for  a single  season, 
lespedeza.  For  a catch  crop,  following  oats,  potatoes,  etc., 
cow  peas  or  German  millet.  For  pastures,  Bermuda  grass, 
lespedeza,  melilotus,  alsike  clover,  Plungarian  brome 
grass,  orchard  grass,  red  top,  bur  clover,  and  hairy  vetch. 

On  pine  woods  soil.  For  hay,  Bermuda  grass,  crab 
grass,  Mexican  clover,  alfalfa,  crimson  clover,  and  lespe- 
deza. For  pastures,  crimsou  clover,  Japanese  rye  grass, 
orchard  grass,  carpet  grass,  and  large  vcater  grass. 


From  this  statement,  from  the  highest  official  author- 
ity, it  is  seen  that  Mississippi  has  a large  number  of  the 
best  of  forage  plants  suited  to  every  section  and  soil  of  the 
state. 

In  its  official  estimates,  published  in  December  1893, 
and  November,  1894,  the  Department  of  Agriculture  gives 
the  following  figures  in  regard  to  the  tons  of  hay  per  acre 
for  different  states : 


44 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


1893  1894 

Average  for  the  United  States 1.41  1.15 

Illinois 1. 21  1. 14 

Iowa 1.58  .73 

Kansas . 1.31  .77 

Mississippi 1.65  1.84 


In  1894  the  yield  of  Mississippi  was  exceeded  only  b}'' 
that  of  Alabama,  with  the  exception  of  the  few  western 
states  -where  alfalfa  is  grown  almost  exclusively. 

Hay  growing  is  one  of  the  newer  industries  of  Missis- 
sippi, and  one  which  is  attracting  more  and  more  attention 
as  the  qualities  of  our  hays  are  better  appreciated,  and  it 
has  been  demonstrated  that  such  large  yields  can  be  made 
so  cheapl}\  At  present  very  little  of  the  hay  crop  is  sold 
for  less  than  $10  per  ton,  and  the  amounts  which  are  be- 
ing shipped  out  of  the  state  are  increasing  rapidly. 

CORN  AND  GRAIN  CROPS. 

A modest  local  item  in  the  West  Point  Forum  of 
January  12  th,  1895  says  “Aberdeen  and  Strong’s  Station 
have  each  contributed  a carload  of  corn  to  the  drouth 
sufferers  of  Nebraska.  ’ ’ Other  local  Mississippi  papers  have 
recently  published  several  similar  items,  and  during  the 
present  winter  man}r  carloads  of  corn  have  been  sold  for 
shipment  to  Illinois  and  Missouri.  The  Department  of 
Agriculture  estimates  the  crop  of  corn  in  Mississippi  for 
1894  to  be  about  36,000,000  bushels,  which  is  an  increase 
of  10,000,000  bushels  over  the  crop  of  1893,  and  a larger  in- 
crease than  is  shown  in  any  other  southern  state.  This  state 
never  suffers  from  such  drouths  and  winds  as  have  devas- 
tated Kansas  and  Nebraska  during  the  past  year,  her  soil 
is  fertile,  her  seasons  are  long,  and  a failure  in  corn  crop 
has  never  been  known.  The  lands  of  the  Delta  are  espec- 
ially suited  to  the  cultivation  of  this  crop,  and  the  black 
prairie  lands  of  northeastern  Mississippi  are  as  productive 
as  those  of  Illinois  or  Iowa.  Corn  may  be  planted  here 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


45 


in  February,  and  good  crops  are  often  grown  on  land  from 
which  oats  or  wheat  has  been  harvested  and  the  planting 
delayed  as  late  as  June,  or  even  July.  When  planted  in 
July  the  crop  still  has  more  than  three  months  before  it 
can  be  injured  by  frosts,  and  so,  -with  favorable  weather 
for  six  weeks  after  planting,  a crop  is  assured.  It  is  not 
claimed  that  all  the  lands  in  Mississippi  are  adapted  to 
corn  growing,  but  we  h i re  more  than  enough  of  good  corn 
land  to  furnish  all  the  corn  we  need  and  leave  a large  sur- 
plus for  shipment.  Fast  year,  on  one  farm  in  Oktibbeha 
county,  on  eighty  acres  of  land  to  which  no  fertilizer 
had  been  applied  for  several  years,  the  average  yield  wras 
over  sixty-one  bushels  per  acre,  while  on  selected  acres  in 
the  same  field  the  3rield  was  more  than  ioo  bushels.  Larger 
yields  than  these  are  often  secured,  aud  in  nearly  every 
section  of  the  state. 

Wheat  grows  as  well  here  as  in  Ohio  or  Wisconsin, 
and  is  of  equalty  good  quality.  Before  the  war  nearly  all 
of  the  flour  consumed  in  the  state  was'  made  from  wheat 
that  had  been  grown  here,  but  at  present  prices  other  crops 
are  more  profitable,  except  when  the  wheat  can  be  grown 
as  an  incidental  crop  to  occupy  the  land  only  during  the 
winter.  We  know  of  one  farm  in  the  “yellow  loam”  re- 
gion where  crops  of  both  wheat  and  corn  have  been  grown 
on  the  same  ground  for  three  years,  the  wheat  coming  off 
in  time  to  plant  corn  early  in  June,  and  the  corn  ripening 
so  that  wheat  could  be  sown  in  November.  The  average 
yield  of  the  wheat  during  these  three  years  was  twenty-two 
bushels  per  acre,  and  of  the  corn  thirty-five. 

Oats  may  be  sowed  at  any  time  from  October  to  March, 
and  when  sowed  early,  make  the  best  of  winter  grazing. 
The  yield  is  usually  less  than  in  some  of  the  northern 
states,  but  the  crop  makes  such  excellent  pasture  that  it  is 
valued  highly  for  winter  feeding,  and  as  it  can  be  grown 
when  the  land  would  otherwise  be  idle,  planters  are  fast 
recognizing  its  importance  and  increasing  its  acreage. 

Rye  and  Barley  are  also  grown  for  winter  pastueres, 


46 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


but  not  as  largeljr  for  grain  as  further  north. 

Rice  is  an  important  grain  crop  in  the  southern  part 
of  the  State,  where  the  yield  is  from  twenty  to  thirty  bush- 
els per  acre.  Along  the  Gulf  coast  this  is  the  principal 
small  grain  crop,  as  two  crops  can  be  grown  on  the  same 
ground  annually. 

Sorghum  is  grown  largely  in  the  northern  part  of  the 
State,  and  thousands  of  barrels  are  annually  shipped  to  the 
markets  of  the  North.  In  the  central  and  southern  por- 
tions of  the  State,  sugar  cane  is  found  on  almost  every 
farm,  and  is  as  much  a part  of  the  regular  crop  as  are  pea- 
nuts or  potatoes.  Its  yield  is  from  300  to  400  gallons  of 
mollasses  per  acre,  and  it  always  commands  a ready 
sale  at  good  prices,  ofteu  bringing  as  much  as  $200  per 
acre. 

Hevip  is  another  crop  which  finds  just  the  soil  and 
climate  which  it  needs  in  the  rich  river  bottom  region  of 
the  Delta.  Its  cultivation  there  is  of  recent  introduction, 
but  the  small  plantings  and  experiments  which  have  been 
made  there  during  the  last  three  years  have  been  so  en- 
couraging that  a factory  for  working  it  is  now  being  erected 
near  Greenville,  where  a large  acreage  will  be  planted 
during  the  coming  season. 

In  fact,  there  is  scrarcely  any  field  crop  grown  in  the 
northern  states  which  cannot  be  grown  with  even  greater 
success  and  less  cost  in  this  State.  Cotton  has  been  the 
leading  crop  so  long  that  it  has  overshadowed  many  other 
crops  of  greater  profit,  and  it  is  thought  by  many  who  have 
not  examined  our  possibilities,  that  Mississippi  can  grow 
nothing  but  cotton — a mistake  into  which  even  some  of 
our  own  farmers  have  fallen.  With  cotton  bringing  $100 
an  acre,  many  of  our  planters  forgot  that  they  could  fill 
their  corn  cribs  and  smoke-houses  at  an  almost  nominal 
expense,  and  so  imported  nearly  all  of  their  supplies,  in- 
cluding even  the  hay  which  was  fed  to  the  mules  which 
raised  the  cotton.  The- decline  in  the  price  of  cotton,  how- 
ever, has  taught  us  to  look  more  closely  after  other  crops, 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


47 


and  we  are  finding  that  we  are  not  only 'able  to  supply  our 
own  needs,  but  that  these  formerly  neglected  crops  are  the 
most  profitable  part  of  our  farms.,  and  that  we  can  secure  a 
better  income  from  them  than  we  formerty  did  from 
cotton. 

A recent  Jackson  paper  says:  “One-eighth  of  an  acre 

in  rice  will  be  ample  to  supply  the  table  of  any  family  in 
Hinds  county  for  one  ye  ir,  and  in  addition  will  pay  the 
toll  required  for  cleaning  at  the  rice  mill  in  Jackson. 

One  acre,  well  prepared  and  moderately  enriched, 
planted  in  Louisiana  sugar  cane  will  yield  more  molasses, 
and  of  the  very  best  quality,  than  any  white  family  in  any 
county  in  the  State  will  use  in  one  year. 

One  acre  of  good  land  well  prepared  and  planted  in 
yellow  yam  potatoes,  will  make  more  than  any  white  fam- 
ily in  Mississippi  will  eat  until  another  crop  is  made.  Other 
food  crops  give  equally  good  results.  ’ ’ 

STOCK  GROWING,  FEEDING  IN  MISSISSIPPI. 

Probably  there  is  no  one  who  is  better  known  among 
the  cattle  men  of  the  United  States  than  is  Prof.  I.  P. 
Roberts,  the  Director  of  the  New  York  Experiment  Sta- 
tion. He  was  long  ago  convinced  that  Mississippi  offered 
better  advantages  for  the  profitable  feeding  of  cattle  than  did 
any  other  part  of  the  United  States,  and  in  1886  he,  with 
a few  others  from  the  North,  purchased  a large  tract  of 
land  in  Madison  county,  and  stocked  it  with  cattle.  In 
giving  an  account  of  the  enterprise  a short  time  ago,  Prof. 
Roberts  said:  “The  land  was  all  cleared  and  in  grass, 

but  about  100  acres.  It  had  laid  out  to  the  commons  un- 
fenced for  some  fifteen  years  previous  to  the  purchase  and 
had  grown  up  with  various  wild,  and  tame  grasses,  the 
Bermuda  grass  and  lespedeza  being  prominent.  Buildings 
were  erected  and  the  entire  tract  fenced  with  a four- wire 
fence,  one  cross  fence  serving  to  divide  the  mowing  land 
from  the  pasture  land.  A year  or  two  after  the  beginning 
of  this  enterprise  640  acres  adjoining  wTere  leased;  upon 


48 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


the  first  named  tract  of  land  about  sixty  acres  of  corn  is 
raised  for  ensilage,  and  200  tons  of  hay  secured  annually 
on  about  roo  acres  of  land.  The  meadows  are  mowed 
twice  during  the  summer  and  furnish  about  a ton  at  each 
mowing.  They  have  never  been  plowed  since  they  were 
abandoned,  nor  has  any  grass  seed  ever  been  sowed  upon 
them.  Water  is  easily  secured  by  constructing  storage 
pools,  it  being  impossible  to  get  a sufficient  supply  by  dig- 
ging wells. 

From  400  to  600  steers  are  grazed  upon  the  pasture  for 
nine  months  of  the  year.  About  one-half  of  these  are  sold 
off  of  the  grass;  the  other  half  fed  through  a portion  or  all 
of  the  winter.  The  cattle  cost  when  thin,  in  the  spring  of 
the  year,  from  1 to  1^  cents  per  pound,  and  sell  off  of 
grass  at  2 to  2 cents  per  pound,  and  off  of  winter  feed  at 
3 to  3 Yz , weighed  on  the  ranch,  frequently  without  any 
rebate  for  shrinkage.  The  Amercian  Agriculturist  cor- 
rectly states  that  the  health  of  the  cattle  is  phenomenal, 
the  company  having  lost  but  eight  animals  by  death  from 
all  causes,  out  of  the  3,500  animals  handled  and  grazed 
during  the  last  three  years. 

It  will  be  seen  by  what  has  already  been  said  as  to 
the  number  of  cattle  grazed  and  the  size  of  the  pasture, 
that,  contrary  to  general  belief;  there  is  some  good  grass 
land  in  the  South.  Madison  county  has  always  been 
known  as  the  banner  grass  and  cattle  county  of  Mississippi. 
Certain  it  is  that  these  somewhat  impoverished  fields,  cov- 
ered with  volunteer  grasses  and  weeds,  are  able  to  sustain 
more  animals  per  acre  than  are  the  pastures  of  the 
northern  and  New  England  states.  The  cattle  of  Missis- 
sippi are  tali  and  lank,  and  do  not  feed  as  satisfactorily 
as  do  the  cattle  of  the  North;  but  they  are  by  no  means 
“scrubs,”  and  one  can  often  pick  up  quite  a number  of 
cattle  which  show  unmistakably  that  they  are  the  recent 
descendants,  at  least  on  one  side,  of  the  Shorthorns  and 
Herefords.  During  the  olden  times  much  pains  were 
taken  by  the  planters  to  improve  their  cattle  as  well 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


49 


as  their  horses,  and  even  after  twenty  years  of  rus- 
tling in  the  canebrakes  some  of  these  cattle  show  improved 
blood.  In  this  part  of  Mississippi  the  cattle  are  usually 
raised  without  any  care  or  attention  whatever,  as  to  either 
winter  or  summer  food.  Once  a year  the  cows  are  gath- 
ered together  and  the  calves  branded  and  emasculated. 
During  the  summer  these  cattle  do  well  in  the  open  fields 
and  woods.  After  the  heavy  frosts  in  November  they 
leave  the  summer  pastures  and  go  to  the  canebrakes  in  the 
timber  and  along  the  streams  Here  they  find  enough 
browsing  to  sustain  life  by  drawing  upon  the  summer  re- 
served flesh.  March  finds  them  poor  in  flesh,  but . some- 
thing larger  in  stature  than  they  were  the  year  before, 
and  so  at  the  end  of  about  four  years,  or  often 
younger,  they  are  sold  to  be  taken  to  the  markets, 
if  fat  enough,  if  not,  they  are  fed  for  about  ninety 
days;  but  this  latter  custom  has  sprung  up  in 
this  locality  only  since  this  company  commenced  opera- 
tions. No  feeding,  or  at  least  none  to  any  extent,  was 
practiced  in  the  county  up  to  1888.  Now  it  is  no  uncom- 
mon thing  to  find  each  winter  from  8,000  to  10,000  head 
of  cattle  fed  in  bunches  ranging  from  100  to  r,ooo  in  Mad- 
ison and  adjoining  counties.  This  large  increase  of  the 
winter  feeding  of  cattle,  and  the  large  areas  of  land  which 
have  been  fenced  in  for  pasture  in  the  last  four  years,  show 
conclusively  that  in  one  place  in  the  South  at  least,  the 
planters  are  learning  that  all  the  money  is  not  in  cotton. 

It  appears  to  me  that,  all  things  considered,  the  South, 
or  that  t>art  of  it  which  is  healthy  and  fertile  like  Madison 
county,  offers  to  persons  seeking  homes  far  better  oppor- 
tunities than  most  localities  in  the  West.  The  climate  is 
certainly  ver}r  fine,  and  can  only  be  criticised  because  of 
the  long  warm  season,  as  the  thermometer  rises  no  higher  on 
the  open  lands  in  Mississippi  than  it  does  in  the  hottest 
weather  in  central  New  York.  Hand  is  very  low  at  the 
present  time,  but  is  steadily  rising,  so  it  seems  to  me  that 
no  better  home  could  be  found  for  the  energetic  Canadian 


50 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


or  American  than  these  cleared  fields  of  central  Missis- 
sippi.” 

DAIRYING. 

The  first  co-operatitive  creamery  established  in  the 
Gulf  states  was  at  the  Mississippi  Agricultural  College  in 
1886,  and  since  that  time  it  has  been  operated  successfully 
and  profitably.  That  was  the  beginning  of  a new  indus- 
try for  the  State,  and  has  demonstrated  that  we  can  make 
butter  fully  equal  in  quality  to  that  made  in  the  North, 
and  which  brings  a better  price  in  the  southern  markets. 
Creameries  are  now  being  established  in  many  parts  of  the 
State  and  in  nearly  all  cases,  are  proving  to  be  paying  in- 
vestments, our  long  grazing  seasons  and  our  cheap  corn 
and  cotton  seed  feeds  giving  us  a great  advantage  over  the 
northern  dairymen.  In  1886  nine-tenths  of  the  milk  re- 
ceived at  the  College  creamery  during  nine  months  of 
the  year  was  made  from  the  natural  growth  on  old  fields 
which  had  “come  in”  to  native  grasses  without  any  seed- 
ing or  preparation.  During;  the  year  the  average  amount 
of  milk  needed  to  make  a pound  of  butter  was  twenty-one 
pounds.  With  the  better  cultivation  of  the  fields  and  the 
introduction  of  more  prolific  grasses  the  production  of  milk 
has  been  largely  increased,  while  the  quality  remains  very 
nearly  the  same.  Records  from  the  same  creamery  in  1894 
show  the  quality  of  the  milk  to  have  been  as  follows: 

POUNDS  OF  MILK  TO  ONE  POUND  OF  BUTTER. 


January 

22. 1 

July 

21.2 

February.... 

24.5 

August 

20.8 

March 

23.5 

September 

20.6 

April 

23.3 

October 

21. 

May 

22.4 

November 

.21. 

June 

23.9 

December 

19-7 

Average  for  the 

year 21.9 

HORSES  AND  MULES. 

Horses  and  mules  can  be  grown  in  Mississippi  with 
far  greater  ease  and  profit  than  in  the  North,  and  the 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


51 


number  of  farmeis  who  are  now  engaged  in  raising  them 
for  the  market  is  increasing  at  a rapid  rate.  With  good 
grazing  for  at  least  nine  months  of  each  year,  and  with  fair 
“picking”  in  the  canebrakes  which  will  more  than  sustain 
life  during  the  other  three  months,  the  actual  cost  of  rais- 
ing a mule  is  very  little.  Many  planters  who  have  been 
engaged  in  the  business  since  1880  claim  that  the  total  ex- 
pense of  growing  a mule  until  it  is  ready  for  work  at  three 
years  old,  does  not  exceed  $25.  Many  of  the  mule  colts 
run  in  the  pasture  from  the  time  they  are  born  until  they 
are  broken  for  work,  and  have  absolutely  no  shelter  and 
no  food  beyond  what  they  find  in  the  fields.  Of  course 
mules  which  are  raised  in  this  easy  manner  suffer  some  hard- 
ships, and  do  not  usually  make  as  large  and  fine  animals 
as  do  those  which  receive  better  feed  and  care,  but  the 
raising  of  them  is  extremely  profitable.  Ordinary  3-year- 
old  mules  will  sell  for  from  $75  to  $100,  while  one  which 
is  in  good  condition,  fifteen  to  sixteen  hands  high,  and 
broken  for  work,  will  bring  full}'-  50  per  cent.  more. 

Horses  require  more  care  than  do  mules,  and  are  less 
used  in  farm  work,  though  they  will  always  be  preferred 
for  riding  and  driving.  Prices  for  horses  are  now  lower 
than  for  many  years  on  account  of  the  immense  numbers 
which  have  been  shipped  here  during  the  last  year  from 
the  northwestern  states,  but  still  good  animals  command 
better  prices  here  than  in  the  North,  while  the  cost  of 
raising  them  is  very  much  less.  With  our  abundant  and 
nutritious  pastures,  and  our  cheap  lumber  for  building 
barns  and  sheds,  the  cost  of  raising  either  horses  or  mules 
is  less  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  country,  while  from, 
the  relatively  small  number  of  farmers  engaged  in  raising 
them,  they  always  sell  for  good  prices. 

Mules  are  the  more  popular  animals  for  ordinary  farm 
work,  as  they'  are  less  easily  fretted  and  -worried  than  are 
horses  by  the  treatment  often  given  them  by  the  negro  la- 
borers; they  bear  neglect  and  irregularities  in  feeding  and 
watering  better  than  do  horses,  and  are,  in  every  way, 


/ 


52  MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


more  hardy  and  enduring.  Where  the  owner  uses  and 
cares  for  the  animals  himself,  horses  are  usually  preferred, 
as  being  quicker  and  more  intelligent,  but  for  the  ordinary 
hired  laborer  the  mule  is  the  better  animal. 

The  immigrant  who  has  good  teams  will  find  it  good 
economy  to  bring  them  with  him. 

HOGS. 

Dr.  Tait  Butler,  formerly  of  Iowa,  but  now  of  Stark  - 
ville,  sums  up  the  peculiar  advantages  of  Mississippi  as  a 
hog  growing  State  as  follows: 

“That  the  hog  has  been  one  of  the  most  important- 
agencies  in  building  up  the  agricultural  interest  of  the 
Central  Northern  States  is  a fact  never  questioned  by  those 
familiar  with  the  conditions.  But  all  thinking  farmers 
are  equally  certain  that  considerable  care  must  be  exer- 
cised in  the  breeding  and  feeding  of  hogs  in  those  states  to 
obtain  the  most  profitable  results.  The  valuable  experi- 
ence of  careful  and  scientific  feeders  proves  very  conclu- 
sively: 

1.  That  only  the  improved  breeds  are  profitable. 

2.  That  after  a hog  has  gained  a weight  of  300  pounds 
he  is  less  profitable  as  a feeder,  other  things  being  equal, 
than  one  of  less  weight. 

3.  That  any  hog  which  will  not  grow  to  the  weight  of 
300  pounds  in  one  year’s  time,  or  less,  is  undesirable. 

4.  That  an  old  animal,  or  one  that  has  been  stunted  in 
its  growth,  will  never  give  as  good  results  for  the  food  con- 
sumed as  a young  and  rapidly  growing  animal. 

5.  That  at  present  market  prices  for  feed  and  meat  no 
one  kind  of  food  can  be  fed  to  hogs  at  a profit,  but  that  a 
variety  of  foods  is  e sential  to  profitable  pork  production. 

Now  these  are  the  facts  that  confront  meat  production, 
and  it  will  be  of  value  to  consider  briefly  how  Mississippi 
can  meet  the  conditions  which  these  facts  require: 

1.  The  improved  breeds  do  as  well  in  Mississippi  as 
anywhere  and  the  climate  conditions  are  such  as  to  make 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


53 


them  less  subject  to  disease  and  more  cheaply  kept. 

2.  Owing  to  the  short  winteis  and  early  springs,  pigs 
can  be  made  to  reach  the  maximum  profitable  rveight  by 
the  time  cold  weather  comes  on  In  the  fall  and,  therefore, 
feeding  in  cold  weather,  which  all  agree  is  unprofitable,  is 
avoided. 

3.  It  is  a well-recognized  fact  that  nothing  retards  the 
growth  of  a young  pig  so  much  as  extreme  cold,  but  in 
this  climate  pigs  can  be  farrowed  at  any  time  of  the  year 
without  danger  of  serious  loss  from  that  cause. 

4.  The  most  important  factor  in  meat  production  is 
the  question  of  food  supply.  Experiments  in  feeding  have 
shown  more  or  less  accurately,  the  value  of  the  different 
food-stuffs  wrheu  fed  alone,  and  when  fed  together;  and 
nothing  is  more  certain  than  that  a variety  of  foods  is  abso- 
lutely essential  to  profitable  feeding.  For  instance,  one 
bushel  of  corn  will  produce  from  six  to  eight  pounds  of 
pork  while  fifty  pounds  of  skimmed  milk  will  produce  about 
two  pounds  of  pork;  but  if  one  bushel  of  corn  and  fifty 
pounds  of  skimmed  milk  be  fed  together,  from  twelve  to 
sixteen  pounds  of  pork  will  be  produced,  or  the  combining 
of  the  two  feeds  results  in  a gain  of  from  three  to  six 
pounds  of  pork. 

Again,  one  lot  of  fifteen  pigs  fed  for  fifteen  days  con- 
sumed 29.5  bushels  of  corn  and  produced  220  pounds  of 
pork  which  at  $4.75  per  hundred  weight  wTould  be  w'orth 
$10.75,  or  35/^  cents  per  bushel  for  the  corn. 

Another  similar  lot  of  fifteen  pigs  were  fed  for  fifteen 
days  and  consumed  29.5  bushels  of  wheat  and  corn.  The 
pork  produced  was  453  pounds,  which  at  $4.75  per  hun- 
dred wreight  would  be  wx>rth  $21.60  or  81  *4  cents  per  pushel 
for  the  mixed  corn  and  wMat.  These  and  many  other  ex- 
periments which  might  be  quoted  shovr  the  importance  of 
a variety  of  foods,  and  it  is  in  this  respect  that  'Mississippi 
affords  the  greatest  advantages. 

The  northern  pork  producer  has  to  depend  upon  corn 
and  red  clover  for  his  cheap  feeds,  and  purchase  shorts, 


54 


MISSISS  : ?I  HANDBOOK. 


bran,  and  oil  meal  at  a higli  price.  With  the  low  priced 
lands  and  cheap  labor  of  Mississippi  corn  and  clover  can 
be  produced  at  a less  cost  than  in  the  northern  states, 
which  is  partially  due  to  the  fact  that  clover  may  be  grazed 
for  a half  longer  time,  owing  to  the  mildness  of  the  cli- 
mate. 

It  has  also  been  shown  that  one  acre  of  alfalfa  will, 
by  soiling,  feed  from  fifty  to  seventy-five  hogs,  and  all  of 
the  lime  lands  in  Mississippi  will  produce  alfalfa  to  perfec- 
tion, and  here  it  will  give  a greater  number  of  cuttings 
than  in  the  North,  owing  to  the  greater  length  of  the 
season. 

During  the  winter  months  the  northern  hog  raiser  is 
forced  to  feed  entirely  of  high  priced  foods,  but  the  Missis- 
sippi farmer  may  have  his  oat,  wheat,  or  barley  field  which, 
with  few  exceptions,  will  afford  grazing  the  whole  winter. 
In  addition  he  has  a climate  and  soil  especially  suited  for 
the  growing  of  a greater  variety  of  other  crops  which  are 
recognized  as  very  valuable  for  hog  feeding;  such  as  arti- 
chokes, ground-peas,  peanuts,  sweet  potatoes,  and  sor- 
ghum. In  short,  the  climate  and  facilities  for  producing 
cheap  foods  combine  to  render  Mississippi  the  ideal  home 
of  the  hog  breeder  and  feeder”. 

Mr.  Jesse  Drake,  formerly  of  Illinois,  has  been  raising 
Poland  China  hogs  at  Jackson,  Miss.,  during  the  last  six 
years,  and  writes  as  follows:  ‘‘I  grow  about  150  hogs  an- 

nually, and  find  the  business  much  more  profitable  here 
than  in  Illinois.  Here,  I can  grow  two  litters  each  year, 
while  in  the  North  I could  grow  only  one  to  advantage. 
My  hogs  do  well  on  the  pastures,  receiving  very  little  other 
feed  during  the  summer,  though  making  a rapid  growth. 
For  winter  feed  and  for  fattening  I use  sugar  beets,  pea- 
nuts, sweet  potatoes,  and  corn,  though  very  little  corn  is 
needed.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  hogs  must  be  grown  on  grass, 
roots,  and  other  cheap  foods  to  make  them  profitable.  In 
Mississippi  we  can  grow'  such  foods  in  the  greatest  abun- 
dance and  at  very  small  cost,  which  gives  us  a great  advan- 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


55 


tags  over  the  northern  hog  raiser,  and  this  is  one  of  the 
principal  reasons  why  pork  raising  is  so  much  more  profi- 
table here  than  in  the  North.  Our  pork  crop  is  all  that 
we  can  ask,  but  our  market  facilities  are  poor,  and  we  are 
greatly  in  need  of  a packing  house  to  handle  our  surplus 
product — and  that  is  sure  to  come  soon.  Neither ‘scrub’ 
hogs  nor  cattle  have  paid  me  as  well  as  have  thorough- 
breds.” 

SHEEP. 

A short  time  ago  the  United  States  Department  of  Ag- 
riculture commissioned  Hon.  R.  M.  Bell,  of  Decatur,  111. 
to  make  a thorough  investigation  of  the  sheep-growing  in- 
dustry of  the  southern  states.  Mr.  Bell  has  given  this 
subject  a more  careful  study  than  has  any  other  man  in 
the  whole  country,  and  he  writes  of  the  sheep  business  in 
Mississippi  as  follows: 

‘‘Mississippi  has  a valuable  sheep  husbandry,  but  it  is 
so  unlike  anything  known  save. on  the  South  Atlantic  and 
Gulf  coasts  that  a northern  man  looks  upon  it  with  feeling 
of  disgust.  The  absence  of  large  winter  supplies  of  feed, 
and  the  general  lack  of  comfortable  shelters  suggests  to  the 
stranger  that  the  southern  sheep  owners  are  a shiftless  and 
indolent  set  and  that  there  is,  or  ought  to  be,  a better  way. 
If  he  is  a newljr  arrived  immigrant  he  is  apt  to  say  that 
‘he  will  show  the  southerners  how  to  raise  sheep  right.’ 
This  presumption  is  due  to  a want  of  appreciation  of  the 
advantages  which  the  genial  climate,  the  bounteous  sup- 
plies of  natural  feed,  and  the  possibilites  of  the  country 
give  to  the  Mississippi  shepherd.  For  the  heedlessuess  of 
the  northerner  in  speaking  his  mind  so  freely,  there  can 
be  no  excuse,  and  if  he  remains  in  the  country  long  enough 
he  will  learn  that  he  has  something  still  to  learn,  and  that 
he  does  not  know  it  all. 

Mississippi  has  an  enviable  record  in  wool-growing 
due  to  the  climate  and  soil,  the  pasturage,  water,  shade, 
sunshine,  and  geological  formation — a mj^stery  not  now  so 


56 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


easily  explained — though  recognized  wherever . fine,  soft, 
luxurious  wools  are  grown. 

The  first  account  we  have  of  an  - attempt  to  introduce 
improved  sheep  into  the  State  was  in  1811,  when  a ram 
from  Col.  W.  R.  Livingston’s  flock — a French  merino — 
was  brought  here.  This  ram,  it  is  said,  founded  a number 
of  fine  flocks.  Saxon  merinos  were  first  introduced  in 
1831,  and  in  1839  Col.  M.  R.  Cockrell  removed  from  his 
Tennessee  plantation  to  Madison  county,  Mississippi,  with 
1,000  Saxon  and  Spanish  merinos,  and  500  long-wooled  or 
mutton  sheep.  Col.  Cockrell  was  one  of  the  best  shep- 
herds and  finest  judges  of  sheep  and  wool  in  his  day,  as 
well  as  being  one  of  the  most  enterprising  sheep-breeders 
in  the  United  States.  In  1845  Mr.  Affleck  purchased  some 
Saxon  Spanish  merinos,  and  Leicester  sheep  for  his  plan- 
tation in  Adams  county,  and  from  that  time  large  numbers 
of  improved  thoroughbred  sheep  were  introduced.  About 
1850  Col.  Cockerell  removed  his  sheep  back  to  Tennessee, 
and  from  that  time  the  progress  of  flocks  began  to  decline. 
Although  the  total  number  of  sheep  in  the  State  increased, 
there  was  no  gain  in  the  quality  of  the  blood.  Once  in  a 
while  a planter  or  a northern  immigrant  would  bring  a 
new  ram  into  the  countr}1-,  but  for  one  reason  or  another 
few  good  results  were  secured.  After  the  war  Mississippi 
planters  turned  their  attention  from  sheep-breeding  to  the 
raising  of  horses  and  mules,  and  for  many  years  the  sheep 
industry  was  greatly  neglected. 

With  few  exceptions,  the  sheep  of  Mississippi  may  be 
divided  into  two  groups,  the  common  or  degenerate  sheep 
bred  from  English  breeds,  and  the  “piney-woods”  sheep 
descended  from  Spanish  merinos  introduced  by  the  Span- 
ish colonists  and  brought  from  Florida  and  the  Mobile  dis- 
tricts. 

The  ‘piney-woods’  sheep  are  found  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  State,  where  they  have  held  their  own  from 
Spanish  colonial  times,  and  can  continue  to  do  the  same  in 
the  indefinite  future.  It  is  a singular  and  significant  fact 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK.  57 

tliat  these  hardy,  aboriginal,  neglected  and  unimproved 
sheep  are  exempt  from  all  diseases,  while  many  serious 
ailments  abound  in  the  region  where  foreign  sheep 
have  recently  been  introduced.  The  writer  desires 
to  emphasize  this  exemption  of  the  ‘piney-woods’  sheep 
from  all  disease.  He  would  leave  the  reader  to  find  out 
why  certain  sections  are  unsound  for  sheep,  and  would 
suggest  the  necessity  for  caution  in  deviating  from  the 
practices  of  the  most  successful  sheep-raisers  of  the  State, 
among  wThom  may  be  mentioned  G.  W.  Smith-Vaniz,  of 
Canton,  and  Col.  Wm.  Sigerson,  of  Ocean  Springs 

The  famous  ‘Take  Wools’  (practically  a natural 
production)  are  raised  in  Hancock,  Harrison,  Jackson, 
Green,  Perry,  Pearl  River,  Marion,  Lawrence,  Covington, 
Jones,  and  Wayne  counties,  though  other  counties  claim 
to  produce  as  good  and  useful  a product. 

Hinder ances  to  sheep-growing.  At  present,  without 
any  real  system  of  sheep-raising,  the  negro’s  coon  dog, 
the  squatters’ hogs  which  run  wild  in  the  woods,  eagles, 
buzzards,  a few  foxes,  wild-cats,  and  perhaps  an  occasional 
wolf,  are  the  principal  annoyances  of  sheep-growers,  and 
all  of  these  can,  and  will,  be  managed  or  controlled  in 
time.  The  absence  of  any  fence  law  in  some  misguided 
sections  is  a serious  obstacle  to  the  extention  and  multipli- 
cation of  flocks.  While  it  is  a fact  that  Mississippi  has  a 
wonderful  supply  of  natural  pastures,  the  writer  suggests 
to  the  immigrant  the  importance  of  consulting  ‘Farmers’ 
Bulletin  No.  18,  on  ‘Grasses  and  Forage  Plants  for  the 
South’  which  has  recently  been  issued  by  U.  S.  Depart- 
ment of  Agriculture.  A man  in  a new  country  should 
avoid  making  mistakes. 

When  the  writer  made  an  investigation  of  the  subject 
of  sheep-raising  a few  years  ago  for  theU.  S.  Government, 
he  thought  Mississippi  a most  wmuderful  region  for  the 
raising  of  wool,  and  he  thinks  so  yet,  but  he  also  sees  a 
future  for  the  State,  and  for  all  the  South,  as  a most  profi- 
table mutton-growing  section.  There  is  no  reason  why 


58 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


the  raising  of  lambs  for  mutton  should  not  be  extensively- 
followed,  and  lambs  are  now  sent  from  Columbus,  Miss, 
to  Boston , Mass. , as  a regular  annual  trade. 

There  is  a meaning  in  the  fact  that  Mississippi,  under 
practical  free  trade,  has  increased  her  number  of  sheep 
during  the  last  two  years,  and  the  valuation  of  her  flocks 
has  increased  as  well.  Would  any'  one  ask  why  this  is  so? 
There  can  be  but  one  answer — wool  can  be  produced 
cheaply  enough  there  to  give  a profit  at  the  low  prices 
which  have  ruled  during  the  last  two  years. 

Without  winter,  and  with  such  abundant  winter  pas- 
tures, almost  anything  is  possible  in  sheep-raising  in  Mis- 
sissippi. ” 

Col.  Sigerson,  of  Ocean  Springs,  and  formerly  of  Indi- 
ana, who  is  mentioned  in  the  foregoing  letter  from  Mr. 
Bell,  writes  as  follows: 

“Sheep  and  cattle  are  doing  well  this  fall  with  us. 
Sheep  especially,  never  looked  so  well  since  I have  been 
in  the  country.  And,  let  me  tell  you,  now  is  the  time 
to  commence  the  sheep  industry  in  our  Gulf  Coast 
country. 

Our  land  is  so  cheap,  the  climate  so  desirable  and  the 
grass  is  so  good  that  the  cost  of  production  is  reduced 
away  below  what  is  known  to  the  northern  sheep-raiser. 
We  have  grass  enough  to  feed;  nothing  is  fed  here,  they 
live  entirely  on  grass;  500  sheep  where  we  only  have  one  novr. 
Some  of  our  sheepmen  are  very  much  discouraged,  but  I 
tell  them  to  hold  on.  It  is  certain  that  we  do  well  at  raising 
wool  at  i2J/2  cents  a pound,  even  on  our  cheap  pasturage. 
To  make  sheep-raising  pay  we  must  take  into  the  ac- 
count the  mutton  and  the  price  we  can  get  for  early  lambs. 
I was  thinking  how  well  we  can  do  by  crossing  with  the 
American  Delaine-merino.  I am  constrained  to  believe 
this  sheep  a very  hardy  animal  and  a cross  on  our  piney- 
woods  ewe  will  give  a fine  carcass,  and  a fleece  that  will 
weigh  from  six  to  eight  pounds  per  head. 


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59 


Surely  such  a sheep  as  figured  above  will  give  a fine 
profit.  Lambs  at  4 months  old  will  sell  here  at  from  $4  to 
$6  per  head.  Remember  we  are  located  only  about  thirty 
hours  from  New  York  City,  Chicago  and  St.  Louis. 

I am  amazed,  and  can  but  wonder,  why  sheepmen 
will  continue  to  go  West  to  raise  sheep,  and  urorse  yet, 
why  men  will  stay  on  high  priced  land  and  feed  six 
months  in  the  year  rather  than  come  here.  I cannot  Ac- 
count for  it  save  for  the  reason  that  they  do  not  understand 
what  we  have  down  here  and  are  afraid  to  come.  Tell 
them  to  come  and  see  for  themselves.” 

FRUITS  AND  VEGETABLES. 

It  is  not  alone  in  the  growing  of  cattle  and  hogs,  corn 
and  hay,  that  Mississippi  excels,  for  her  fruits  and  vegeta- 
bles have  won  for  themselves  an  enviable  reputation  in  the 
markets  of  Baltimore  and  Boston,  Cincinnati  and  Chicago,1 
Detroit  and  Denver.  Mississippi  sirawberries  and  toma- 
toes are  knowm  in  every  little  town  and  cross  roads  in  the 
North,  and  in  many  of  the  northwestern  states  the  first 
herald  of  approaching  spring  is  the  arrival  of  Mississippi 
radishes,  lettuce,  and  peas,  which  have  been  grown  here 
in  the  open  ground  while  our  distant  customers  are  shov- 
eling snow.  Our  market  gardeners  are  not  obliged  to 
limit  their  shipments  to  three  mouths,  or  to  six  months, 
but  have  twelve  months  every  year  for  their  market  time, 
and  something  to  sell  during  every  month. 

Shipments  of  tomatoes  from  Mississippi  to  Chicago 
commenced  as  long  ago  as  in  1S66.  In  1872  Dr.- H.  E. 
McKay  commenced  his  shipments  of  strawberries  which 
have  been  continued  up  to  the  present  time.  From  the 
modest  beginning  made  twenty-five  years  ago,  the  business 
of  growing  fruits  and  vegetables  for  the  northern  markets 
has  constantly  increased,  until  now  it  amounts  to  more 
than  $1,000,000  annually.  Hazlehurst,  Crystal  Springs, 
Terry,  Jackson,  Madison  Station,  and  Durant  on  the  Illi- 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


nois  Central  railroad;  and  Meridian,  West  Point,  Tupelo, 
Baldwyn,  and  Booneville  on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  road 
are  the  most  important  shipping  points,  though  there  is 
scarcely  a town  on  either  line  which  does  not  contribute 
more  or  less  to  this  rapidly  growing  industry.  Both  of  the 
railroads  named  run  special  “Fruit  and  Vegetable”  trains 
through  the  summer  months  in  order  to  carry  our  products 
to  the  northern  markets  quickly  and  cheaply,  and  are  do- 
ing everything  in  their  power  to  favor  the  growers.  Ice  is 
provided  liberally,  and  the  trains  are  run  so  that  our  fruits 
are  only  thirty-six  hours  from  the  St  Eouis  and  Chicago 
markets. 

apples. 

Apples  do  -well  here,  and  are  extremely  profitable,  as 
the  supply  is  usually  much  less  than  the  home  demand. 
The  trees  here  may  not  be  as  long  lived  as  at  the  North, 
but  they  come  in  to  bearing  earlier,  bear  more  regularly, 
and  the  fruit  is  of  the  best  quality.  Early  apples  are 
shipped  quite  largely,  as  they  reach  the  northern  markets 
in  advance  of  those  from  any  other  section,  and  so  com- 
mand high  prices.  Winter  varieties,  however,  are  gener- 
ally more  profitable,  as  they  can  always  find  a home  mar- 
ket at  much  better  prices  than  are  paid  at  the  North.  Dur- 
ing the  winter  months  apples  in  Mississippi  sell  higher, 
per  bushel,  than  do  oranges.  The  owners  of  old  apple  or- 
chards are  mbre  than  satisfied  with  their  investments,  and 
the  planting  of  new  orchards  cannot  fail  to  be  a profitable 
business.  Judge  B.  B.  Boone,  of  Booneville,  in  northeast 
Mississippi,  says: 

“I  am  satisfied  that  there  are  many  localities  in  this 
State  where  the  earl}7  varieties  of  apples  -will  succeed  about 
as  well  as  thej*  will  in  any  section.  I know7  they  do  well 
with  us.  I know7  this  from  forty  years  observation. 

I am  often  asked  w7hether  it  will  pay  to  raise  apples  in 
our  section  for  market,  and  whether  we  can  compete  with 
the  apple  growers  in  the  North.  I think  it  will  pay  to 


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6l 


raise  the  early  varieties  of  apples  for  both  northern  and 
southern  markets.  The  apple  growers  of  the  North  can’t 
compete  with  us  in  raising  early  apples.  Our  early  varie- 
ties will  reach  Chicago,  Indianapolis,  Detroit  and  Buffalo 
and  other  northern  cities  before  the  apples  of  these  regions 
have  hardly  shed  their  bloom.  Our  June  apples  are  July 
apples  there.  The  ist  of  June,  when  our  apples  are  ready 
for  market,  finds  both  southern  and  northern  markets  com- 
paratively bare  of  the  winter  apples.  There  is  no  place 
from  which  this  demand  can  be  supplied  for  the  succeeding 
thirty  days,  except  from  the  South,  and  we  have  usually 
netted  $i  per  bushel  for  first-class,  and  75  and  50  cents  for 
second.” 

PEARS. 

Before  the  war  the  largest  and  most  noted  pear  orchard 
in  the  State  was  that  of  Col.  Hebron,  near  Vicksburg, 
which  covered  150  acres,  and  from  which  the  sales  some- 
times amounted  to  $7,000  in  a season.  Very  few  fruit 
trees,  of  any  kind,  survived  the  war,  and  nearly  all  the 
trees  now  in  the  State  have  been  planted  within  the  last 
twenty  years.  Within  the  last  ten  or  twelve  years  some 
thousands  of  acres  have  been  planted  in  pear  trees,  with 
varying  success.  Some  of  the  trees  have  been  so  neglected 
that  they  died  from  want  of  care,  and  others  have  blighted, 
though  the  results,  on  the  whole,  have  been  very  encour- 
aging. Man}''  large  orchards  have  given  from  $3  to  $5  per 
tree  in  ten  years  from  planting,  and  many  smaller  or- 
chards have  given  even  better  cash  returns.  A.  A.  Gale, 
of  Jackson,  says: 

‘‘From  my  experience,  I should  say,  there  is  no  fruit 
which,  throughout  the  season,  sells  as  well.  The  price 
seldom  deviates,  for  the  quanticj"  of  first-class  pears  has 
never  yet  been  known  to  ‘glut  the  the  market.  ’ Califor- 
nia Bartletts  begin  to  arrive  in  New  Orleans  the  latter  part 
of  July,  and  from  that  time  until  the  middle  of  September 
are  very  abundant  in  that  market;  yet  the  price  keeps  up, 
all  the  time,  to  from  $3  to  $4'per  bushel. 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


During  last  summer,  all  that  the  writer  sent  to  New 
Orleans  brought  the  same  price  as  those  from  California.” 

PEACHES. 

Peach  trees  grow  well  in  all  parts  of  the  State,  except- 
ing along  the  Gulf  coast,  where  there  is  not  sufficient  cold 
to  check  their  growth  during  the  winter  mouths.  They 
usually  bear  heavy  crops,  though  here,  as  elsewhere,  they 
are  sometimes  injured  by  late  spring  frosts.  D.  T.  Price, 
of  Boonveille,  says  he  has  had  eight  full  crops  in  ten  years, 
and  others  in  that  region  have  had  equally  regular  crops. 
Peaches  are  grown  more  largely  in  the  region  of  Terry  and 
Crystal  Springs  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  State,  some 
of  the  larger  orchards  there  covering  more  than  300  acres 
each. 

PLUMS. 

Plums  are  grown  quite  extensively,  and  as  they  ripen 
much  earlier  than  those  grown  in  the  North,  always  bring 
good  prices.  While  the  Wild  Goose  and  Chickasaw  vari- 
eties are  still  the  more  common  sorts,  the  Japanese  vari- 
rieties  are  now  being  planted,  and  are  giving  heavy  yields 
of  fruit  which  never  fails  to  command  a fancy  price. 

GRAPES. 

Grapes  can  be  grown  here  in  such  profusion  as  is  not 
seen  elsewhere  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  Our  seasons 
are  so  long  that  the  vines  make  double  the  growth  that 
they  can  in  the  North,  they  never  require  protection  from 
winter  freezes,  and  the  latest  ripening  sorts  never  fail  to 
reach  maturity.  If  the  vines  are  properly  cared  for  they 
will  often  ripen  five  pounds  of  fruit  in  eighteen  months 
from  planting,  and  such  is  the  vigor  of  their  growth  that 
they  are  not  injured  by  producing  such  crops  while  still  so 
young.  Vines  grow  much  larger  here  than  at  the  North, 
and  bear  with  correspondingly  increased  abundance.  The 
leaves  are  not  injured  by  either  the  downj'  or  powdery  mil- 
dews, and  the  fruit  is  seldom  troubled  by  the  black  rot, 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


63 


and  we  have  no  insects  which  cause  serious  trouble  to 
either  vine  or  fruit.  B.  A.  P.  Selman,  of  Booneville,  says: 

“With  us  the  grape  crop  is  never  a failure,  and  but 
few  of  the  varieties  tested  have  failed  to  do  well.  So  far 
we  have  had  little  or  no  disease  among  them,  and  while 
as  yet  but  few  have  ventured  to  grow  them  for  market,  ow- 
ing to  the  want  of  facilities  to  get  to  it,  the  experiments  of 
those  who  have  are  satisfactory.  That  we  can  grow  them 
in  great  abundance,  the  choicest  and  the  best,  and  as  cheaply 
as  the  most  favored  sections,  we  have  no  ‘doubting 
Thomas.  ’ 

As  to  varieties,  the  Concord  is  most  generally  grown, 
yet  the  Delaware,  Ives  Seedling,  Dindlejp  Perkins,  Hart- 
ford and  others  have  been  planted  with  success. 

I consulted  with  two  of  our  oldest  grape  sowers,  and 
here  compile  a part  of  their  statements.  Both  have 
grown  them  for  about  twelve  years,  different  kinds.  Their 
experience  is:  The  Perkins  never  rots,  and  always  pro- 

duces good  crops;  so  with  the  Ives  Seedling  and  the  Scup- 
pernong,  and  while  the  Concord  in  very  wet  seasons  will 
mildew  and  rot  some,  yet  owing  to  its  abundant  crop  they 
havemever  failed  to  harvest  a fair  one.  The  Niagra,  Em- 
pire State,  and  some  others  of  the  new  grapes  have  been 
set  out,  but  not  having  borne  yet,  I cannot  speak  of  adapt- 
ability to  our  soil  and  climate. 

Our  mode  of  planting  (except  the  Scuppernong)  is  in 
rows  eight  feet  apart,  vines  six  feet  in  the  row.  This  will  give 
918  vinos  to  the  acre.  If  one  year  old  vines  are  used,  they 
will  bear  some  at  three  years  old,  a fair  crop  at  four  years 
old,  and  an  abundant  one  at  five  years  old.  A low  esti- 
mate for  an  ordinary  crop  at  five  years  old  is  12,000  to  15,- 
000  pounds  per  acre. 

Up  to  last  season,  for  want  of  proper  transportation 
rates  and  markets,  2 to  3 cents  per  pound  has  been  the 
average  net,  yet  this  will  make  $300  per  acre.  Of  course 
these  results  mean  good  cultivation  and  proner  attention. 

This  last  year  one  of  m}?-  neighbors  gathered  from  350 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


vines,  mostly  Concord;  one-half  first  year  in  bearing,  the 
other  half  second  year,  with  only  some  fifteen  the  third 
year,  and  shipped  $42  net,  made  eighty-three  gallons  of 
wine,  which  he  sold  at  $1.25  per  gallon,  and  of  the  crop 
grown  only  about  three-fourths  were  shipped  or  converted 
into  wine.  The  350  vines  cover  slightly  over  one-third  of 
an  acre,  which  would  make  an  acre  at  the  same  rate  net 
$450.  Owing  to  bettershipping  facilities  and  ratesgiven  us 
b3r  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  railroad,  the  grapes  we  shipped  the 
last  season  netted  4 and  5 cents  per  pound.  ” 

Parker  Earle  & Sons,  of  Ocean  Springs,  who  have 
thirty  acres  in  vineyard,  report  even  better  yields  and 
prices. 


STRAWBERRIES. 

Whatever  may  be  said  in  regard  to  our  advantages  for 
the  growing  of  other  fruits,  the  strawberry  is  pre-eminently 
the  one  for  which  Mississppi  is  famous.  Thousands  of 
acres  are  devoted  to  its  cultivation,  and  the  fruit  is  now 
shipped,  not  by  the  dozen  crates,  or  by  the  car  load,  but  by 
special  train  loads.  More  strawberries  are  grown  between 
Hazlehurst  and  Durant,  on  the  Illinois  Central  railroad, 
than  on  any  other  equal  area  in  the  world.  On  the  Mobile 
and  Ohio,  from  Meridian  north  to  Corinth,  the  industry  is 
of  more  recent  introduction,  but  is  growing  rapidly,  and 
that  region  promises  soon  to-become  as  noted  as  is  the  re- 
gion about  Crystal  Spring  and  Madison  Station.  In  this 
State  we  have  no  trouble  with  the  “crown  borer,1'  which 
destroys  the  plant  in  Illinois  and  Missouri  when  only  two 
years  old,  and  strawberry  fields  from  five  to  ten  years  old 
are  not  uncommon.  We  have  no  trouble  with  the  “rust” 
and  “blight”  which  are  so  common  in  northern  fields,  our 
plants  never  suffer  from  the  cold  of  winter,  and  are  wonder- 
fully productive.  On  some  soils  fields  have  been  known 
to  yield  as  much  as  100  crates  annually  for  many 
years,  with  no  cultivation  whatever  beyond  the  mowing  of 


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65 


a heavy  crop  of  hay  in  the  late  summer,  while  with  proper 
care  and  cultivation  a yield  of  100  bushels  per  acre  is  not 
uncommon.  Our  first  shipments  are  usually  made  in 
March,  and  the  fruit  continues  to  ripen  in  quantity  until 
June,  while  occasional  pickings  may  often  be  found  much 
later.  In  the  central  and  southern  parts  of  the  State  a few 
ripe  berries  may  be  found  at  almost  any  time,  and  Dr.  Mc- 
Kay, of  Madison  Station,  the  largest  grower  in  the  State, 
informs  us  that  he  has  shipped  strawberries  to  the  Chicago 
market  during  every  month  in  the  j^ear. 

TOMATOES 

Tomatoes  are  shipped  in  greater  quantities  than  is  any- 
other  market  garden  crop,  and  from  the  towns  between 
Hazlehurst  and  Canton  more  than  1,000  car  loads  were 
marketed  last  year.  That  is  only  one  item  from  one  locality, 
but  it  shows  something  of  the  extent  and  importance  of 
the  business  in  Mississippi.  The  tomatoes  grown  here  are 
of  a quality  superior  to  those  grown  in  any  other  part  of 
the  country,  and  “Mississippi  tomatoes”  always  receive 
special  quotations,  not  only  in  the  markets  of  Chicago  and 
Minneapolis,  but  in  Baltimore  and  New  York.  Our  fruit 
is  more  solid,  has  better  carrying  qualities,  and  reaches 
the  northern  market  in  better  condition  than  that  from  any 
other  district,  and  so  sells  for  higher  prices.  Large  quan- 
tities are  now  being  grown  along  the  Gulf  coast,  and  as- 
these  reach  the  market  at  the  same  time  as  those  grown 
in  Florida,  they  are  quite  remunerative.  The  crop  from 
the  central  and  northern  parts  of  the  State  come  in  after 
those  from  the  extreme  south  are  exhausted,  and  before 
those  grown  in  Tennessee  are  ripe,  and  so  they  too,  bring 
good  prices.  Many  of  the  tomato  growers  make  a second 
crop  late  in  the  season,  having  it  ready  for  market  in  Octo- 
ber and  November,  after  the  northern  crop  is  killed  by  frost, 
and  secure  good  returns. 

From  Hazlehurst  to  Water  Valley  on  the  Illinois  Cen- 
tral road,  from  Meridian  to  Corinth  on  the  Mobile  and 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


Ohio,  and  from  Baj^  St.  Louis  to  Ocean  Springs  on  the 
Louisville  and  Nashville  railroads  the  growing  of  vegeta- 
bles ior  the  northern  markets  is  no  longer  an  exper- 
iment or  a side  issue,  but  is  a well-established  and 
profitable  industry.  Planting  begins  in  January  and  does 
not  end  until  December,  and  there  is  scarcely  a vegetable 
seen  in  the  northern  markets  of  which  the  earliest  and  best 
do  not  come  from  Mississippi.  Radishes,  lettuce,  peas, 
beets,  asparagus,  snap  beans,  cabbages,  tomatoes,  cucum- 
bers, melons,  squashes,  green  corn,  sweet  and  Irish  potatoes, 
and  all  other  garden  crops  are  grown  in  the  greatest  vari- 
ety and  profusion,  and  afford  a source  of  constant  income. 
In  nearly  all  cases  two  crops  are  grown  on  the  same  ground 
annually,  and  often  a third  crop  gives  a good  return.  The 
first  crop  of  Irish  potatoes  is  planted  in  January  or  Feb- 
ruary, and  a second  crop  can  be  planted  on  the  same 
ground  in  August.  The  first  crop  being  ready  for  market 
very  early,  and  the  second  crop  very  late,  both  bring  good 
prices.  Very  often  the  second  is  left  in  the  ground  until 
February  or  March,  and  then  shipped  to  the  North,  when 
a few  strokes  of  the  marking  brush  in  the  hands  of  the 
dealer  transforms  it  into  “New  Potatoes,  just  imported 
from  Bermuda,’’  and  so  doubles  the  selling  price. 

Sweet  potatoes  need  the  long  season  which  is  found 
only  in  the  southern  states  for  their  best  growth,  and  here 
their  yield  is  enormous.  Both  sweet  and  Irish  potatoes 
are  being  grown  quite  extensively  on  the  Gulf  coast,  in 
the  prairie  region  about  West  Point,  and  the  Delta  region 
about  Greenville,  and  the  acreage  is  everywhere  increas- 
ing. 


EDUCATION. 

The  Public  School  system  of  Misssissippi  was  not  or- 
ganized until  1871 , but  is  now  attracting  attention  from 
all  pails  of  the  country  for  its  thoroughness  and  efficiency. 
School-houses  are  multiplying  on  every  hand,  the  old 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


6 7 


frame  building  of  a few  years  ago  is  giving  place  to  brick 
and  stone,  and  the  people  of  the  State  fully  endorse  Dr. 
Curry  when  he  says:  “Universal  education  must  lie  at  the 
foundation  of  all  governments  with  representative  institu- 
tions, and  of  all  civilization  which  is  to  be  promotive  of  the 
highest  good  of  humanity.  ’ ’ In  speaking  of  the  recent  work 
in  educational  lines,  Prof.  Preston  says:  “In  the  elements 
of  real  progress  and  solid  advancement,  the  past  two  years 
cover  a bright  period  in  the  history  of  popular  education 
in  Mississippi.  Better  teachers,  longer  school  terms,  in- 
creased earnestness  and  interest  among  the  people  mark 
the  highway  of  our  achievements. 

With  a practical  and  systematic  school  law  which 
needs  but  time  for  its  effective  execution;  w7ith  uniform 
State  examinations,  a department  of  pedagogy^  in  the  Uni- 
versity,  Peabody  summer  normal  institutes  and  teachers’ 
associations  continually  making  the  teaching  corps  stronger 
by  impelling  them  to  higher  attainments;  with  public  sen- 
timent in  favor  of  the  schools  broadening  and  deepening 
year  by  year,  our  educational  forces  are  fairly  organized  for 
effective  work.” 

During  the  scholastic  3'ear  1892-93,  the  last  for  which 
the  report  has  been  published,  the  State  expended: 


For  Public  Schools *... '$  1,192,844 

For  State  University/ 32,643 

For  Agricultural  College 30,750 

For  Industrial  Institute 23,325 

For  Deaf  and  Dumb  Institute 17,750 

Eor  Blind  Institute 8,161 

For  Alcorn  A.  & M.  College 13,000 

For  State  Normal 2 500 


These  items  make  a total  of  $1,320,973,  which  is 
equivalent  to  a levy  of  7.1  mills  on  the  total  assessed  valua- 
tion of  all  the  property  in  the  State.  Mississippi  leads 
among  the  southern  states,  and  ranks  eighth  among  the 
sates  of  the  Union  in  the  amount  expended  for  education 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


in  proportion  to  valuation  of  property. 

The  past  decade  shows  a steady  progress  in  our  public 
schools.  The  increase  in  our  population  from  1880  to  1890 
was  less  than  14  per  cent.  The  enrollment  in  the  public 
school  has  increased  20  per  cent,  within  the  last  nine  years, 
nearly  doubling  the  rate  of  increase  in  the  population.  Our 
average  length  of  school  term  has  been  increased  14  per 
cent. , and  our  expenditures  for  school  purposes  50  per 
cent.  The  statistics  for  1892-93  show  that  seventy-three 
whites  in  every  100  of  school  age  were  enrolled  in  our 
public  schools,  while  less  than  sixty  in  every  100  negroes 
were  enrolled.  The  enrollment  of  both  races  was  64.8  per 
cent,  of  all  the  educable  children.  According  to  the  re- 
port of  the  Commissioner  of  Education  (1889-90)  Kansas 
had  in  1890  enrolled  27.98  in  every  100  population,  which 
was  the  highest  per  centage  in  the  United  States,  the  aver- 
age being  20.27.  The  enrollment  of  Mississippi  for  1892-93 
was  25.97  in  every  100  population,  which  places  us  second 
in  the  Union  when  both  races  are  considered.  But  our 
enrollment  of  whites  was  28.61  in  every  100  of  white  pop- 
ulation. It  is  thus  shown  that  our  white  population,  as 
measured  b3r  enrollment,  are  availing  themselves  of  the  ed- 
ucational advantages  provided  by  the  State  to  a greater  ex- 
tent than  the  people  of  any  other  State  in  the  Union. 

Seperate  schools  are  provided  for  the  whites  and 
blacks,  and  the  school  fund  divided  between  them  in  pro- 
portion to  the  number  of  educable  children  of  each  race. 
While  the  whites  pay  about  80  per  cent,  of  the  taxes,  the 
colored  schools  receive  about  60  per  cent,  of  the  school 
funds. 

In  a State  which  provides  so  liberally  for  its  primary 
schools  the  higher  education  is  even  more  ^liberally  en- 
dowed, and  the  young  women  have  fully  as  many  advan- 
tages as  do  the  young  men.  One  of  the  first — if  not  the 
very  first — chartered  institutions  for  the  collegiate  training 
of  young  women  in  the  United  States  was  the  Elizabeth 
Female  Academy,  at  Old  Washington,  near  Natchez. 


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69 


Sharon  Female  College  was  organized  in  1834,  and  the  first 
college  for  girls  in  the  United  States,  established  by  the 
State  and  maintained  at  public  expense,  is  located  at  Col- 
umbus, and  is  the  pride  of  the  whole  South.  The  State 
University  at  Oxford  was  organized  in  1848  and  has  been 
well  endowed  by  the  State.  Many  distinguished  states- 
men, not  only  of  this  State,  but  of  the  nation,  are  proud  to 
claim  that  institution  as  their  Alma  Mater.  Its  doors  have 
recently  been  opened  to  young  women,  new  departments 
of  instruction  are  being  added,  and  it  is  one  of  the  most 
prosperous  institutions  in  the  country.  The  Agricultural 
and  Mechanical  College  at  Starkville  has  been  in  operation 
only  fourteen  years,  but  has  already  taken  a high  rank 
among  similar  educational  institutions,  and  is  doing  a 
grand  work  for  the  young  men  of  the  State.  The  Alcorn 
Agricultural  and  Mechanical  College  for  the  education  of 
colored  youth,  is  at  Westside,  and  receives  a liberal  sup- 
port from  the  State,  as  well  as  somewhat  more  than  half 
the  income  from  the  Morrill  endowment  funds. 

We  have  taken  the  following  illustrations  and  de- 
scriptions from  the  publications  of  the  several  institutions. 

UNIVERSITY  OF  MISSISSIPPI. 

The  State  University,  whose  first  session  began  in 
1848,  is  founded  upon  a grant  of  one  township  of  land 
made  by  Congress  to  the  State  of  Mississippi  in  1819.  It 
has  been  supported  by  State  appropriations,  and  the  in- 
terest upon  the  proceeds  resulting  from  the  sale  of  the  land 
granted  by  Congress. 

This  institution  from  its  beginning  took  high  rank 
among  the  colleges  of  the  country.  In  its  faculty  have 
been  found  many  men  prominent  in  the  affairs  of  the  State 
and  of  the  country.  Since  1848  it  has  had  a total  enroll- 
ment of  more  than  9,000  students.  Its  alumni  roll  con- 
tains the  names  of  a large  number  who  have  attained  dis- 
tinction in  various  professions  and  pursuits. 

As  now  organized  the  University  includes  a Depart- 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


ment  of  Professional  education,  with  a school  of  Law, 
which  is  in  a most  prosperous  condition,  and  a Department 
of  Science,  Literature  and  the  Arts,  in  which  are  twenty- 
one  different  schools.  These  schools  make  up  a cirriculum 
which  affords  excellent  training  in  Latin,  Greek,  German, 
French,  and  English,  Belles  Lettres,  Mathematics,  all  the 
Natural  Sciences,  Mental  and  Moral  Philosophy,  Logic, 
History,  Political  Economy,  Elocution  and  Pedagogy.  A 
large  option  is  allowed  in  the  selection  of  studies  and  spe- 
cial courses  are  marked  out  leading  to  various  Baccalaureate 
degrees  and  to  several  post-graduate  degrees. 

In  the  University  tuition  is  free  to  all  students  except 
in  the  school  of  law.  All  expenses  are  very  low.  The  lo- 
cation is  noted  for  its  healthfulness,  and  the  grounds  are 
unsurpassed  in  beauty.  Within  the  last  two  j^ears  the  au- 
thorities of  the  University  have  discontinued  preparatory 
classes  in  the  institution.  All  the  energies  of  the  institu- 
tion are  given  to  Collegiate  and  advanced  University  work. 
The  institution  is  well  provided  with  Chemical  and  Phys- 
ical apparatus  of  the  best  character.  It  has  a library  of 
13,000  well-selected  volumes,  a fine  collection  of  specimens 
illustrating  Mineralology  and  Geology,  and  an  excellent 
Astronomical  telescope  of  fifteen  inches  aperture.  It  has  a 
coi'ps  of  instructors  large  enough  to  do  excellent  work  with 
about  200  students.  The  number  enrolled  this  session  is 
225.  The  character  of  the  work  done  and  the  tone  per- 
vading the  whole  institution  is  such  as  to  command  the 
confidence  of  the  people  of  the  State.  It  affords  to  the 
young  men  and  young  women  of  the  State  the  highest  ed- 
ucational advantages  at  the  least  possible  cost.  In  its 
work  it  seeks  coordination  and  cooperation  with  all  the 
sound  educational  work  done  in  the  State.  Catalogues 
containing  full  information  may  be  obtained  by  addressing 
R.  B.  Fulton,  Chancellor,  University  of  Mississipi. 


OBSERVATORY,  STATE  UNIVERSITY. 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


INDUSTRIAL,  INSTITUTE  AND  CORTEGE. 

Robert  L.  Frazer , L L.  D. , President , Columbus , Miss. 

“Intelligent  Motherhood,  the  best  provision  for  Intel- 
ligent Citizenship.’’ 

To  this  school  belon  s t-  _•  distinction  of  being  the  first 
institution  of  the  kind  ever  founded  by  a State  for  the  edu- 
cation of  women.  The  bill  creating  the  school'  was  passed 
in  March,  1884,  and  the  first  session  opened  October  22, 
1885. 

To  secure  its  location  for  Columbus,  the  town  gave 
property,  in  land  and  buildings,  valued  at  $50,000  in 
money. 

For  the  support  of  the  institution  the  State  makes  an 
annual  appropriation  of  about  $25,000,  thus  offering /m? 
tuition  in  Academic  Studies  and  Industrial  Arts  to  400 
young  women. 

The  various  departments  of  its  work  employ  twenty- 
two  officers  and  teachers. 

The  school  offers  three  Courses  of  Study,  viz:  A Bus- 
iness Course  for  those  who  wish  to  prepare  for  industrial 
pursuits;  a Normal  Course  for  those  desiring  to  teach  in 
the  public  schools  of  the  State,  and  a College  Course  for 
those  who  aim  at  broad  and  thorough  culture  as  the  basis 
of  future  usefulness. 

Provision  is  also  made  for  thorough  instruction  and 
practical  training  in  Industrial  Arts  by  which  women’s 
opportunities  for  independence  and  usefulness  may  be  mul- 
tiplied. It  embraces  Book-Keeping,  Industrial  and  High 
Art,  [Design,  Modeling,  Drawing,  Wood  Carving,  Oil 
Painting,  etc.,]  Cutting  and  Making  Dresses,  Telegraphy, 
Phonography,  Type- Writing,  etc. 

The  free  scholarships  are  apportioned  among  the 
counties  of  the  State  according  to  their  number  of  white 
girls  within  the  school  age.  Applicants  for  admission  must 
be  at  least  15  years  old,  in  good  health,  and  of  good  moral 
character.  They  must  pass  an  examination  in  the  ordi- 


INDUSTRIAL,  INSTITUTE  AND  COLLEGE,  COLUMBUS,  MISS. 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


nary  common  school  studies. 

Board  is  furnished  at  actual  cost.  The  average  cost, 
including  furnished  room,  fuel,  light,  washing,  infirmary 
attendance,  etc.  is  less  than  $9  per  month. 

The  occr  .mts  of  the  rooms  are  required  to  do  all  the 
work  necessm  v 'o  keep  them  in  order.  The  work  in  the 
dining-room  is  aKo  required  of  the  pupils.  For  this  regu- 
lar details  are  made,  each  one,  in  turn,  performing  her 
part. 

Voluntary  Work. — Students  have  the  privilege  of  do- 
ing a part  of  the  light  work  in  the  kitchen  and  laundry. 
Thejr  may  also  find  employment  in  the  dressmaking  de- 
partment. For  this  voluntary  work  they  are  paid. 

There  is  no  disposition  in  the  institution,  by  word  or 
action,  to  disparage  those  who  work  to  aid  in  paying  their 
expenses. 

From  the  beginning  the  success  of  the  school  has  been 
extraordinary,  the  wise  forecast  for  its  establishment  be- 
coming, year  afer  year,  more  and  mote  unquestionable. 

During  the  nine  years  of  its  existence  more  than  1,300  * 
young  women  have  come  under  its  tuition  and  gone  out. 
They  are  almost  all  engaged  in  some  form  or  other  of  useful 
employment.  Wherever  they  go — in  school-room,  count- 
ing-house, shop,  laboratory,  office,  studio,  or  home — there 
is  abundant  evidence  of  their  worth,  and  of  the  high  esti- 
mate put  upon  their  work  and  their  influence.  Many  who 
worked  their  way  through  College  are  now  independent 
and  lending  a helping  hand  to  others. 

THE  STATE  AGRICUETURAE  AND  MECHANICAE 
COEEEGE. 

Gen.  S.  D.  Lee , President , Starkville,  Oktibbeha  Co. , Miss. 

By  a Eegislative  Act,  approved  February  28,  1878, 
Mississippi  accepted  the  conditions  of  the  Federal  Eand 
Grant  Eaw  of  July,  1862,  and  divided  the  benefits  equally 
between  the  white  and  colored  youth  of  the  State.  The 


HERD  OF  THOROUGHBRED  CATTLE,  AT  MISSISSIPPI  AGRICULTURAL  AND  MECHANICAL  COLLEGE 


76 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


college  was  thus  established:  A Board  of  Trustees  was 

duly  appointed,  and  the  site  soon  chosen. 

It  is  located  one  and  a half  miles  east  of  Stark ville, 
the  county  seat  of  Oktibbeha  county  and  at  a junction  point 
of  the  Mobile  and  Ohio,  and  Illinois  Central  railroads. 
The  value  of  its  lands,  buildings  and  equipment  is  over 
$240,000. 

The  college  was  opened  to  students  in  October,  1880, 
and  :he  average  attendance  for  twelve  sessions  has  been 
312  students.  Eighty-two  per  cent.,  or  more,  of  the  stu- 
dents are  the  sons  of  men  engaged  in  industrial  pursuits. 

The  discipline  is  military.  The  corps  of  students  is 
organized  into  a battalion  of  four  companies  under  the  com- 
mand of  the  Professor  of  Military  Science  and  Tactics, 
who  is  also  the  Commandant  and  directly  administers  dis- 
cipline under  the  supervision  of  the  President. 

The  average  necessary  expenses  of  a student  for  each 
session,  including  cost  of  uniform,  books,  board,  fuel, 
lights,  etc.,  is  about  $125,  which  can  be  reduced  to  $100  or 
less,  by  labor. 

In  its  organization  provision  is  made  for  both  Collegi- 
ate and  Common  School  instruction,  so  as  to  meet  the  wants 
of  the  youth  of  the  State,  especially  those  of  the  industrial 
classes.  It  is  the  only  college  or  school  for  whites  in  the 
State  that  instructs  in  the  theory  and  practice  of  Agricul- 
ture and  the  Mechanic  Arts.  This  instruction  is  given  to 
every  student,  commencing  with  the  elementary  principles 
which  are  taught  to  those  in  the  Preparatory  Department. 
In  addition  to  class-room  instruction,  students  perform 
manual  labor  on  the  farm,  at  the  barns,  in  the  creamery, 
in  the  garden,  on  the  grounds,  and  in  the  Experiment  Sta- 
tion, also  in  the  carpentry  and  machine  shops,  in  the  foun- 
dry, and  at  the  forge. 

The  influence  exerted  by  the  college  on  the  Agricul- 
ture of  the  State  may  be  estimated  by  noting  the  impetus 
which  it  has  given  to  Horticulture,  Stock-raising,  Dairy- 
T.  and  the  cultivation  of  Grasses;  also  by  noting  the  in- 


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77 


creased  tendency  towards  Diversified  Farming,  which  has 
been  advocated  and  illustrated  at  the  college. 

The  Experiment  Station  was  organized  in  March, 
1888,  under  the  provisions  of  the  “Hatch  Bill,”  as  a De- 
partment of  the  college. 

Catalogues  containing  full  information  will  be  sent  on 
application. 

ALCORN  AGRICULTURAL  AND  MECHANICAL 
COLLEGE,  WESTSIDE,  MISS, 

Founded  in  1871,  when  the  Legislature  purchased 
“Oakland  College,”  and  dedicated  the  propert}^  to  the  ed- 
ucation of  neg-ro  youth. 

Supported  by  one-half  the  interest  on  Congressional 
Land  Scrip,  amounting  annually  to  $5,678.75,  an  annual 
State  appropriation  and  a portion  of  the  “Morrill  Fund.” 

The  Lands  comprise  about  300  acres,  used  for  campus, 
cultivation  and  pasture.  There  are  upon  the  school  grounds 
twenty-five  buildings,  ten  mules,  two  brood  mares,  a drove 
of  Poland-China  hogs  and  herd  of  Devon  cattle. 

The  Agricultural  Department  includes  instruction  in 
all  branches  of  farming  and  practical  work  under  a compe- 
tent superintendent.  Among  the  subjects  dwelt  upon  are 
Horticulture,  Insects  Injurious  to  Farm  and  Garden, 
Breeds  of  Live  Stock,  Cattle  Feeding,  Flow  Crops  Grow, 
etc. 

The  Mechanical  Department  includes  instruction  in 
Carpentry,  Printing,  Shoe-making,  Blacksmithing  and 
Wheel  wrighting,  and  courses  of  three  years  are  arranged 
for  each  of  the  above,  upon  the  completion  of  which  a cer- 
tificate is  granted. 

Tuitwjk  is  free  to  Mississippians,  but  $5  a term  of  three 
months  is  charged  to  residents  of  other  States.  The  enroll- 
ment to  date  (January  22,  1895)  is  594. 

The  Courses  of  Study  are  College,  Scientific,  Academic, 
Preparatory  and  Commercial.  Those  who  complete  the 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


College  and  Scientific  courses  are  given  the  degree  of  B.  S. 
Those  who  complete  the  Commercial  course  receive  a cer- 
tificate. 

The  Graduates  number  seventy-nine  and  are  scattered 
through  Mississippi  and  contiguous  States  doing  good 
work.  Thomas  J.  Caiaoway,  A.  B., 

President  and  Professor. 

FACTORIES  WANTED. 

Although  the  agricultural  advantages  of  Mississippi 
are  made  the  prominent  feature  of  this  pamphlet,  facto- 
ries, and  especially  small  factories  of  almost  every  kind, 
will  find  better  opportunities  for  location  and  a better 
local  market  for  their  products  here  than  in  almost  any 
other  section  of  the  country.  With  our  unlimited  sup- 
plies of  timber  in  the  greatest  variety,  with  clays  suited 
to  the  manufacture  of  brick,  tile,  and  every  grade  of 
pottery,  with  our  immense  fields  of  cotton,  with  abundant 
water  power,  cheap  fuel,  and  inexpensive  labor,  this  state 
offers  unqeualled  facilities  for  manufactories  of  every 
kind.  The  cotton  factories  which  have  been  in  con- 
stant operation  at  Columbus,  Wesson,  Enterprise  and 
at  other  points  in  this  state  have  demonstrated  that  cotton 
cloths  can  be  made  here  at  a profit  when  many 
of  the  mills  in  New  England  are  obliged  to  suspend 
because  unable  to  pay  running  expenses,  and  the  estab- 
lishment of  additional  factories  here  is  attracting  more 
and  more  attention.  The  cotton  mills  at  Water  Valley 
have  been  in  constant  operation  for  nearly  twenty  years, 
and  have  always  paid  good  dividends.  The  mills  at 
Natchez,  Corinth,  and  other  points  have  proven  equally 
good  investments,  and  the  cotton  goods  manufactured  in 
this  state  have  won  a national  reputation. 

Early  in  the  present  year  Gov.  Stone  delivered  an  ad- 
dress before  a convention  of  cotton  growers  assembled  at 
Jackson,  Miss.,  in  which  he  earnestly  advocated  the  estab- 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


lishment  of  cotton  factories  in  different  parts  of  tlie  state  to 
consume  the  products  of  the  local  market,  and  showed 
very  plainly  that  such  a course  would  effect  a great  saving 
in  the  present  expenses  for  bagging,  transportation,  and 
commissions.  He  pointed  out  the  great  advantages  which 
this  state  possesses  in  its  abundant  water  power,  its  cheap 
fuel  by  reason  of  its  nearness  to  the  coal  fields,  and  the 
great  good  which  must  result  to  each  by  having  the  pro- 
ducer, the  manufacturer,  and  the  consumer  in  the  same 
localitjr.  Close  upon  the  publication  of  this  address  we 
have  the  announcement  of  a widespread  movement  among 
the  cotton  manufacturers  of  Newr  England  to  locate  their 
mills  nearer  to  the  supplies  of  raw  materials.  This  move- 
ment includes  some  of  the  largest  manufacturers  in  the 
whole  country,  and  is  not  the  effect  of  any  sudden  change, 
but  the  result  of  a long  and  careful  study  of  the  entire 
situation.  Among  those  who  are  said  to  be  planning  for 
the  change  are  the  Merrimac,  the  greatest  cotton  manu- 
facturing company  in  Howell,  having  a capital  of 
$3,500,000;  the  Bright  mills  of  Chicopee,  and  the  Boott 
manufacturing  corporation.  Capitalists  in  the  neighbor- 
hood are  watching  the  movement  with  anxiety,  and  la- 
borers with  no  less  interest. 

Elliott  Clarke,  treasurer  of  the  Boott  concern,  and 
A.  G.  Cumnock  of  the  same  company,  have  made  public 
the  causes  leading  to  their  migration. 

“The  fact  is,’’  said  Mr.  Clark,  “that  we  can  no  longer 
make  plain  sheetings  and  drills  at  a profit  in  the  North 
against  $2  per  ton  for  coal  in  the  South.  We  must  pay 
$4  to  $4.50.  The  climate  down  there  is  milder  and  it  does 
not  require  so  much  coal  to  heat  the  mills.  The  manu- 
facturers there  can  buy  their  cotton  off  the  market  wagon. 
Here  we  must  pay  freight  and  brokerage,  giving  them  an 
advantage  of  1 cent  per  pound  on  the  raw  cotton,  which 
by  itself  is  a fair  profit  for  a mill  making  coarse  yarn 
goods.  The  labor,  too.  costs  60  per  cent,  of  what  it  does 
here,  and  down  there  the  taxation  is  not  quite  one-half,” 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


8l 


“These  are  some  of  the  main  reasons  why  we  cannot 
manufacture  the  sheetings  and  drillings  in  the  North  in 
competition  with  the  South.  Along  with  the  Dwight  and 
Massachusetts  companies  we  are  compelled  to  seek  a more 
favorable  location  for  making  these  goods.  We  have 
very  valuable  trade  marks  on  these  drillings  and  sheet- 
ings, and  it  would  be  a pity  for  us  to  abandon  that  kind  of 
work.  We  can  make  the  goods  for,  say,  about  4 cents 
a yard,  and  in  the  market  we  can  get,  say  4 cents  per 
yard.  In  the  South,  we  could  produce  similar  goods  at 
3 cents  per  yard,  }delding  excellent  profits.” 

Speaking  of  the  labor  statement,  Mr.  Cumnock  said: 
“About  five  years  ago  the  last  time  I compared  weavers’ 
wages  with  those  on  similar  work  in  the  South,  I found 
there  were  many  important  things  discriminating  against 
us.  Our  weavers  worked  ten  hours  a day,  or  sixty  hours  a 
week,  and  averaged  about  #1.15  a day  in  wages.  In  the 
South  they  worked  seventy-two  hours  a week  and  got 
about  60  or  70  cents  a da3r.  In  other  words,  where  the 
southern  manufacturer  paid  5 to  6 cents  per  hour,  wre  paid 
10  to  11  cents.  I believe  that  they  are  now  running  sixty- 
nine  hours  a week,  against  our  fifty-eight.  To  offset  these 
inequalities  we  have  changed  over  about  one-half  of  our 
plant  here  to  the  production  of  a finer  class  of  goods.  ’ ’ 

On  the  same  subject  Mr.  Clarke  said:  “The  labor 

there,  while  cheap,  is  of  a very  fine  class.  All  the  female 
help  in  the  mills  down  there  are  farmers’  daughters,  who 
are  glad  to  work  for  small  wages,  which  seem  large  to 
them,  as  they  are  not  so  accustomed  to  money  as  we  are 
here.  As  the  negroes  do  not  work  in  the  cotton  mills 
down  there,  the  white  people  are  quite  willing  to  take  up 
that  form  of  work.  These  southern  girls  are  strong,  quick 
to  learn,  and  glad  to  be  in  the  way  of  earning  money.  Re- 
ports of  production  from  good  southern  mills  show  that  the 
machinery,  as  a rule,  is  run  a little  faster  than  in  the 
North,  and  the  goods  are  of  excellent  quality,  w^dich  is  the 
best  proof  of  the  efficiency  of  the  labor  in  the  South.” 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


It  is  estimated  by  the  Baltimore  News  that  $12,000,- 
000  of  the  northern  capital  will  be  invested  in  the  southern 
botton  mills  within  the  next  twelve  months. 

Capitalists  of  the  North  who  have  heretofore  invested 
their  surplus  money  in  cotton  factories,  are  beginning  to 
realize  the  great  advantages  of  the  South  for  such  plants, 
sensibly  concluding  that  the  proper  place  for  cotton  mills 
is  in  the  section  where  the  staple  is  grown,  thus  saving 
the  freight  at  least  one  way,  and  coming  to  a country  where 
strikes  are  unknown,  and  labor  on  good  terms  with  capi- 
tal. 

Indeed,  in  no  period  of  her  existence  has  the  South 
presented  such  attractions  to  northern  investors  as  now. 
Here  the  mills  and  factories  can  be  worked  every  week  in 
the  year  with  a good  profit.  Never  was  this  more  clearly 
shown  than  during  the  past  and  present  period  of  business 
depression,  which  compelled  a shutting  down  of  a major- 
ity of  the  larger  mills  in  the  North. 

The  success  of  the  cotton  mills  of  the  South  during 
the  past  ten  years  has  demonstrated  that  the  Bast  cannot 
compete  with  it  in  cotton  manufacture. 

Discussing  this  matter,  the  Philadelphia  Record  says: 
“That  one  of  the  most  significant  industrial  signs  of  the 
times  is  the  rapid  growth  of  cotton  manufactures  of  the 
South.  New  England  capitalists  find  it  advantageous  to 
establish  cotton  factories  in  the  midst  of  the  supply  of  raw 
materials.  As  the  manufacture  in  the  South  shall  develop, 
more  and  more  production  will  extend  to  the  finest  fabrics 
of  the  loom.  Another  sign  of  the  times  is  the  fact  that 
many  southern  manufacturers  have  declared  their  entire 
independence  of  a protective  tariff.  The  proof  of  it  is  to 
be  witnessed  in  the  large  exportation  of  cotton  fabrics  of 
the  South  in  spite  of  European  competition.’’ 

Cotton  factories  alone  are  not  all  for  which  there  is  an 
abundant  opening  in  Mississippi.  Our  timber  is  worth 
even  more  than  our  cottton,  and  the  making  of  agricul- 
tural implements  is  often  more  profitable  than  the  using  of 


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them.  But  with  our  practically  inexhaustible  supply  of 
woods  of  the  greatest  variety,  nearly  all  our  household  fur- 
niture comes  to  us  from  Michigan  and  Ohio.  Too  many 
of  our  wagons  come  from  Indiana,  while  St,  Louis  and 
Louisville  furnish  the  most  of  our  plows;  too  many  of  our 
carts  and  buggies  come  from  Cincinnati,  and  Missouri  fur- 
nishes far  too  large  a proportion  of  our  harnesses.  Many 
of  our  blacksmiths  are  old  plantation  hands  who  have  no 
training  beyond  that  necessar}7  to  enable  them  to  nail  a 
ready-made  shoe  onto  a hoof.  Cabinet  makers  are  hard  to 
find,  and  while  we  have  many  carpenters,  we  have  very 
few  architects.  There  is  but  one  tile  factory  in  the  State, 
and  scores  of  ice  and  cold  storage  companies  could  find  de- 
sirable locations  here.  We  have  an  abundance  of  good, 
reliable,  and  cheap  labor,  but  very  few  really  skilled  labor- 
ers, and  we  know7  of  no  better  opportunities  for  skilled  and 
industrious  mechanics  anywhere  in  the  country.  Almost 
every  town  in  the  State  may  be  made  the  location  of  a fac- 
tory for  making  bricks,  tile,  wagons,  agricultural  imple- 
ments, furniture,  harness,  and  other  articles  of  every-day 
use  and  constant  demand.  With  all  the  thousands  of  cat- 
tle which  are  slaughtered  here  annually,  there  are  very 
few  tanneries  in  the  State,  and  not  a single  packing  house. 

Among  the  towns  which  offer  special  advantages  for 
the  location  of  factories  of  various  kinds  are : 

ABERDEEN,  in  Monroe  county,  at  the  junction  of 
branches  of  the  Illinois  Central  and  the  Mobile  and  Ohio 
railroads.  With  an  abundance  of  iron  ore  in  reach,  beds 
of  inexhaustible  coal,  water  power,  timber  of  all  kinds  and 
cheap  labor,  there  is  no  reason  why  manufacturers  cannot 
locate  here  to  the  best  advantage.  Forests  of  poplar,  ce- 
dar, hickory,  ash,  cypress,  gum,  wild-cherry,  maple,  -wal- 
nut, beech,  pine  and  oak  supply  material  for  all  kinds  of 
wood-working  industries. 


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MISSISSIPPI  HAXLBOOK. 


BAY  ST.  LOUIS,  in  Hancock  county , on  the  Louisville 
and  Nashville  railroad,  is  the  first  town  of  importance  east 
of  New  Orleans,  and  has  always  been  the  favorite  resort  of 
New  Orleans  people.  It  has  a good  hotel,  a heavily  tim- 
bered country  around  it,  and  as  it  has  a large  coasting 
trade  it  is  one  of  the  best  locations  for  the  manufacture  of 
wood-work  of  all  kinds.  It  has  saw-mills  in  abundance, 
but  very  few  factories  of  any  kind.  There  could  be  no 
better  location  than  this  fora  daity  to  ship  milk  to  the  New 
Orleans  market,  and  it  has  a large  home  demand  for  the 
products  of  the  market  garden  during  the  summer  months. 

BILOXI,  in  Harrison  county,  also  on  the  Louisville 
and  Nashville  road,  is  the  largest  town  on  the  coast,  and 
probably  does  more  manufacturing  than  all  the  other  towns 
on  the  coast  .combined.  It  has  five  canning  factories  in 
which  hundreds  of  tons  of  oysters  and  shrimp  are  pre- 
served annually,  extensive  saw  and  planing  mills,  several 
large  boat  yards,  a model  flour  mill,  electric  light  plant 
etc.,  but  still  has  room  for  more.  Fertilizers  are  used 
very  largely  in  all  the  coast  country,  but  there  are  no 
factories  for  supplying  it  nearer  than  Mobile  or  New  Or- 
leans. At  Biloxi  thousands  of  tons  of  fish  can  be  had  at  an 
almost  nominal  cost,  and  there  is  no  place  in  the  whole 
country  where  an  establishment  for  the  manufacture  of 
fish  oil  and  of  commercial  fertilizers  could  be  placed 
with  a greater  certainty  of  profit  than  here. 

BOLTON,  in  Hinds  county,  on  the  Queen  and  Crescent 
road,  is  in  one  of  the  best  agricultural  regions  of  the  state, 
and  is  growing  rapidly.  It  has  extensive  deposits  of 
claj^s  of  the  very  best  quality,  and  is  in  one  of  the  best 
fruit  districts  of  the  state.  Many  of  its  supplies  which 
should  be  made  at  home  are  now  brought  from  Jackson 
and  Vicksburg,  and  the  town  offers  an  excellent  location 
for  a tile  factory,  tannery,  harness  maker,  or  a box  fac- 
tory. The  situation  is  healthful,  it  is  on  one  of  the  principal 
lines  of  railroad,  the  people  are  hardworking  and  energetic, 


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85 


and  it  is  one  of  the  towns  which  the  mechanic  and  the  man- 
ufacturer should  examine  before  locating  elsewhere. 

BOONVILLE,  in  Prentiss  county,  is  located  on  the  high- 
est point  on  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  road,  and  is  the  most 
important  fruit  and  vegetable  growing  town  in  that  part  of 
the  State.  It  is  surrounded  by  an  unusually  rich  and  fer- 
tile country  so  that  it  has  a good  local  trade,  and  its  busi- 
ness is  increasing  rapidly.  It  now  has  a large  box  factory, 
and  a canning  factory,  but  other  manufacturing  enterprises 
are  greatly  needed. 

BROOKHAVEN,  in  Lincoln  county,  is  on  the  Illinois 
Central  road,  and  in  the  center  of  the  yellow  pine  region, 
and  where  many  kinds  of  hard  woods  are  found  in  abundance. 
In  the  line  of  industries  it  already  has  one  brick  yard,  two 
foundries,  two  machine  shops,  two  planing  mills,  two  cot- 
ton gins  and  a grist  mill.  To  other  desirable  industries, 
backed  b}r  a fair  amount  of  capital,  liberal  inducements 
will  be  given  in  the  way  of  location. 

CANTON,  in  Madison  count}*,  is  one  of  the  most  impor- 
tant towns  on  the  Illinois  Central  road.  It  is  in  a locality 
where  the  shipment  of  fruits  and  vegetables  is  a leading 
industry,  and  it  has  the  largest  nursery  and  floral  estab- 
lishment in  the  State.  In  the  immediate  vicinity  oak,  gum 
poplar,  pine  and  other  woods  are  abundant,  and  a spoke 
•and  handle  factory,  or  any  other  wood  working  factory 
would  find  that  a good  location. 

CENTERVILLE,  in  Wilkinson  county,  is  on  the  Yazoo 
Valley  road,  in  the  extreme  southwestern  part  of  the  State. 
The  country  around  it  is  one  of  the  oldest  settled  parts  of  the 
State,  and  has  always  been  noted  as  being  one  of  the  best 
stock  and  grain  regions  in  the  whole  South.  Those  who 
saw  her  magnificent  exhibit  at  the  Sioux  City  fair  in  1894 
will  not  need  to  be  reminded  of  t lie  wonderful  stalks  of 
corn,  the  well-developed  sugar  cane,  and  the  many  luxuri- 
ant hay  plants  which  -were  samples  of  her  wealth  and  pro- 
ductiveness. A large  colony  from  Dakota  has  recently 


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been  located  there,  and  other  immigrants  from  the  same 
State  are  expected  during  the  coming  spring.  These  colo- 
nists are  mostly  farmers,  and  as  the  establishment  of  new 
homes  always  calls  for  mechanics  and  for  tools,  this  town 
is  just  now  an  unusually  good  location  for  intelligent  work- 
men and  manufacturers. 

CRARKSDARE,  in  Cohoma  county,  is  on  the  Yzaoo  Val- 
ley road, 'and  at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Sunflower 
river.  It  is  in  one  of  the  best  sections  of  the  hardwood  coun- 
try, and  is  the  natural  distributing  point  for  an  extensive 
region  in  all  directions,  so  its  local  trade  is  always  good. 
Its  shipping  facilities  make  it  an  unusually  favorable  loca- 
tion for  factories,  and  among  the  enterprises  for  which 
home  capital  can  be  had  to  half  the  amount  necessary  to 
undertake  them  are  a cotton  factory,  a public  ginnery  and 
grist  mill,  a saw  and  planing  mill,  an  ice  factory,  an  elec- 
tric plant  and  telephone  exchange,  a company  to  put  in 
artesian  wells,  and  a tile  factory. 

COFFEEVIREE,  in  Yalobusha  county,  is  on  the  Illinois 
Central  road,  in  a region  where  oak,  cypress,  beech,  hick- 
ory, poplar  and  other  good  timber  is  abundant,  and  where 
wood-working  factories  would  find  a good  location.  Water 
power  can  be  secured,  and  the  “Business  Men’s  Reague’’ 
of  the  town  will  be  glad  to  co-operate  in  the  establishment 
of  factories  of  all  kinds. 

CORUMBUS,  in  Rowndes  county,  is  at  the  junction  of 
the  Mobile  and  Ohio,  and  the  Georgia  Pacific  roads,  and 
at  the  head  of  navigation  on  the  Tombigbee  river.  It  is 
the  seat  of  the  Industrial  Institute  and  College  for  girls, 
and  is  one  of  the  wealthiest  and  most  attractive  towns  in 
the  State.  It  has  an  oil  mill,  ice  factory,  cotton  mill, 
and  other  smaller  factories,  but  offers  unusual  facilities  for 
factories  of  all  kinds.  It  is  as  near  to  the  coal  fields  of  Ala- 
bama as  is  Birmingham,  and  has  direct  railroad  outlets  in 
every  direction.  * 


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87 


CORINTH,  in  Alcorn  county,  is  at  the  junction  of  the 
Mobile  and  Ohio,  and  the  Memphis  and  Charleston  roads, 
and  so  has  unusual  shipping  facilities.  It  was  a 
progressive  town  before  the  war,  and  still  retains  its  pres- 
tige as  a manufacturing  center.  It  has  one  of  the  largest 
foundries  and  machine  shops  in  the  State,  and  offers  spe- 
cial inducements  for  the  establishment  of  tanneries,  cotton 
factories,  and  other  manufacturing  enterprises.  A factory 
for  the  making  of  agricultural  implements  is  greatly 
needed. 

CRYSTAR  SPRINGS,  in  Copiah  county,  has  long 
been  noted  as  being  the  center  of  the  largest  fruit  and  veg- 
etable growing  interest  in  the  State.  The  town  has  an  ex- 
tensive box  and  fruit  package  factory,  a large  canning  facj 
tory,  and  several  packing  houses,  and  offers  attractive  induce- 
ments for  the  location  of  other  factories.  A well  equipped 
wood-working  establishment  and  agricultural  implement 
factory  is  greatly  needed  there,  and  there  is  no  town  in 
the  State  where  a fertilizer  factory  would  find  a better  home 
trade. 

DURANT,  in  Holmes  county,  is  on  the  Illinois  Central 
oad,_  at  the  junction  of  its  branches  to  Aberdeen  and 
rchula.  It  is  three  miles  from  the  Castalian  mineral 
spring,  which  is  largely  patronized  and  a popular  resort. 
It  is  in  the  center  of  a rich  farming  country  and  is  one  of  the 
largest  shipping  points  for  strawberries  on  that  line,  the 
“Durant”  berries  always  having  a special  quotation  in  the 
Chicago  Price  Current,  and  the  shipments  of  this  fruit 
alone  amounting  to  from  $15,000  to  $18,000  per  annum. 
The  town  has  a large  foundry  and  machine  shop  which  is 
doing  a thriving  business.  Timber  is  abundant  in  the  sur- 
rounding country,  and  cooperage  works,  a box  factory, 
and  similar  establishments  would  find  a ready  market  for 
their  products. 

EDWARDS,  in  Hinds  county,  is  on  the  Queen  and 
Crescent  road,  and  like  Bolton,  is  surrounded  by  a rich 


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farming  country.  It  is  only  two  miles  from  navigable 
water,  tlie  Big  Black  river,  and  so  is  able  to  draw  supplies 
of  raw  material  from  the  whole  Delta  country,  and  to  ship 
its  manufactured  products  to  the  east  or  west  by  a direct  rail- 
road line,  or  to  New  Orleans  and  other  river  towns  by  water. 
It  has  excellent  clay  for  the  making  of  tile,  the  best  of  tim- 
ber for  agricultural  implements  and  machinery,  and  its  citi- 
zens are  ready  to  take  an  active  and  financial  interest  in  al- 
most any  manufacturing  enterprise  which  may  be  located 
there.  Its  situation  is  healthful,  and  its  local  trade  as 
good  as  can  be  found  in  the  State. 

EEEISVIREE,  in  Jones  county,  is  on  the  New  Orleans 
branch  of  the  Queen  and  Crescent  road,  and  is  one  of  the 
older  towns  which  gains  vigor  with  age.  It  is  the  loca- 
tion of  one  of  the  largest  cotton  mills  in  the  State,  the  sur- 
rounding country  is  covered  by  a heavy  growth  of  pine 
and  has  abundant  water  powers,  so  that  it  offers  special 
inducement  to  wood-working  establishments  and  to  manu- 
facturers of  agricultural  implements.  It  is  an  important 
shipping  point  for  lumber,  turpentine  and  other  timber  prod- 
ucts, and  is  the  most  “live”  town  in  that  part  of  the  State. 

ENTERPRISE,  In  Clarke  county,  is  on  the  edge  of  the 
pine  woods  country,  and  has  two  railroads,  the  Mobile  and 
Ohio,  and  the  Queen  and  Crescent,  and  so  has  facilities 
for  shipping  direct  to  Mobile,  New  Orleans  or  to  the  North. 
It  is  already  a thriving  manufacturing  town,  its  name  be- 
ing indicative  of  its  spirit,  aud  is  destined  to  become  an 
important  business  center.  It  has  timber  in  abundance, 
good  water  power  in  easy  reach,  excellent  clays  for  mak- 
ing brick  and  tile,  is  in  the  midst  of  a good  farming  coun- 
try, aud  is  growing  rapidly. 

GREENVIEEE,  in  Washington  county,  is  the  center 
of  the  network  of  railroads  which  covers  the  whole  Delta 
country,  and  which  belong  to  the  Yazoo  Valley  and  the 
Georgia  Pacific  systems.  It  is  also  on  the  Mississippi 
river,  and  so  has  the  advantages  of  river  shipments  as  well 


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89 


as  being  a railroad  center  It  is  one  of  the  most  thriving 
towns  in  the  State,  and  is  an  excellent  location  for  fac- 
tories of  all  kinds,  especially  of  wagons,  plows,  agricultural 
implements,  and  furniture.  Its  unusual  shipping  facilities 
make  it  one  of  the  best  places  in  the  whole  South  for  the 
establishment  of  a cotton  factory,  and  its  citizens  would 
subscribe  liberally  to  aid  such  an  enterprise.  Being  in  the 
center  of  one  of  the  best  corn  growing  sections  of  the  State 
it  offers  unusual  inducements  for  a packing  house,  and  is 
probably  the  best  location  in  the  State  for  such  an  enter- 
prise. A cold  storage  plant,  and  a grain  elevator  are 
greatly  needed  there. 

GREENWOOD,  in  EeFlore  county,  is  on  the  Georgia 
Pacific,  and  the  Jackson  and  Parsons  branch  of  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  roads.  It  is  in  the  region  where  there  is  an 
almost  inexhaustible  supply  of  heavy  forest  growth.  The 
oaks  are  remarkably  large  and  fine,  the  cypress  also  are 
fine  for  fencing  and  building  material,  lumber,  staves,  and 
shingles.  Greenwood  has  several  factories,  among  which 
are  the  Planter’s  Oil  Mill,  which  consumed  3,000  tons  of 
seed  last  season.  There  are  also  two  saw  mills,  two  stave 
factories,  ice  works,  brick  factory  and  machine  shops.  It 
is  a very  advantageous  site  for  lumber  working  industries. 
A spoke  factory,  sash,  blind  and  door  factory,  cotton  and 
woolen  factory,  and  cooperage  works  are  needed. 

GRENADA,  in  Grenada  county,  is  at  the  junction  of 
the  Illinois  Central  road  and  its  Memphis  branch.  It  now 
has  one  of  the  largest  and  most  complete  oil  mills  in  the 
State  in  full  operation,  and  a cotton  compress,  au  ice 
company,  a leather  and  tanning  company  with  a collar 
factory  attached.  A cotton  mill  is  greatly  needed,  and 
would  have  solid  local  support.  A fertilizer  factory  could 
find  no  better  location  than  here. 

HATTIESBURG,  in  Perry  county,  on  the  Queen  and 
Crescent  road,  is  another  pine  woods  town,  full  of  pluck 
and  push.  The  country  around  has  the  best  of  water 


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power,  and  there  is  no  better  timber  anywhere  in  the 
South.  “Lake  Wools”  are  grown  here  quite  extensively, 
and  the  town  offers  special  inducements  for  the  establish- 
ment of  a woolen  factory.  A tannery,  and  a good  wood- 
working plant  would  receive  strong  local  support. 

HAZLEHURST,  in  Copiah  county,  is  on  the  Illinois 
Central  road,  and  near  the  southern  part  of  the  rich  fruit 
belt  which  reaches  from  Lincoln  county  north  to  Holmes. 
In  addition  to  its  large  fruit  and  vegetable  trade  it  exports 
wool,  hides,  and  timber.  The  surrounding  country  is  an 
unusually  good  farming  region,  the  soil  being  light,  and 
easily  worked,  and  very  fertile.  Wood- working  factories 
of  all  kinds  will  find  this  a desirable  location;  a tannery, 
and  a woolen  factory  are  greatly  needed,  and  it  has  the 
best  of  clays  for  the  manufacture  of  brick  and  tile. 

HOLLY  SPRINGS,  in  Marshall  county,  the  “City  of 
Flowers,”  is  at  the  junction  of  the  Memphis  and  Birming- 
ham, and  the  Illinois  Central  roads.  Its  nearness  to  Mem- 
phis makes  it  an  excellent  location  for  dairying  and  mar- 
ket gardening,  and  it  is  a desirable  location  for  a tannery 
and  a cotton  factory.  It  has  clays  which  will  make  the 
best  of  sewer  pipe  and  paving  brick,  and  it  now  has 
the  most  extensive  pottery  works  in  the  State.  A branch 
of  the  State  Experiment  Station  is  located  there,  the  sur- 
rounding country  is  filled  with  prosperous  farmers,  and  the 
town  is  ready  to  give  financial  assistance  to  almost  any 
manufacturing  enterprise  which  may  be  located  there. 

JACKSON,  in  Hinds  county,  the  capital  of  the  State,  is 
an  important  railroad  center,  being  on  the  main  lines  of 
the  Illinois  Central,  and  the  Queen  and  Crescent  roads, 
and  having  also  direct  connections  with  Natchez  to  the 
southwest  and  the  Delta  region  to  the  northwest.  It  has 
fine  water  power  and  is  one  of  the  most  prosperous  towns 
in  the  State.  The  country  for  miles  around  is  very  pro- 
ductive and  abundantly  able  to  support  and  make  it  the 
splendid  business  point  which  it  is.  Jackson  has  a num- 


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91 


ber  of  manufacturing  enterprises,  among  them,  the  large 
cotton  seed  oil  mill;  a sash,  door  and  blind  factory;  three 
plow  factories,  a vegetable  packing  house,  two  candy  fac- 
tories, one  broom  factory,  an  ice  factory,  one  barrel-head 
factory,  two  brick  plants,  a large  cotton  compress,  and  a 
number  of  small  enterprises.  With  its  fine  location  and 
abundant  railroad  facilities  there  is  no  reason  why  it  should 
not  be  one  of  the  great  manufacturing  centers  of  the  South, 
especially  of  cotton.  Its  citizens  are  anxious  to  secure  the 
location  of  a cotton  mill,  and  would  subscribe  liberally  to 
secure  such  an  establishment. 

KOSCIUSKO,  in  Attalla  county,  is  on  the  Aberdeen 
branch  of  the  Illinois  Central  road,  and  is  surrounded  by  a 
pine  and  hard  wood  forest  containing  an  unusual  variety 
of  fine  timber,  and  is  one  of  the  best  places  in  the  State  for 
wood-working  factories  of  any  kind.  A tannery  would 
find  supplies  cheap  and  abundant,  and  near  the  town  is 
-water  power  sufficient  for  a large  manufacturing  plant. 

UOUISVIUUE,  the  county  seat  of  Winston,  is  one  of  the 
most  thriving  towns  in  the  central  part  of  the  State,  though 
not  on  any  line  of  railroad.  It  is  surrounded  by  a rich 
farming  country,  and  has  such  an  abundant  supply  of  good 
hardwood  timber  that  a spoke,  stave,  wagon  factory  would 
do  a good  business.  It  is  also  an  excellent  location  for  a 
tannery  or  a woolen  mill. 

McCOMB  CITY,  in  Pike  county,  is  the  terminus  of 
the  southern  division  of  the  Illinois  Central  road,  and  has 
extensive  car  shops.  As  it  is  only  about  100  miles  from 
New  Orleans,  it  has  the  advantages  of  quick  transporta- 
tion, a near  market,  and  a good  trade.  In  the  surround- 
ing country  is  an  abundant  supply  of  timber,  and  the 
clajrs  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  town  are  of  an  extra 
good  quality  for  the  manufacture  of  brick  -which  are  shipped 
to  New  Orleans  in  immense  quantities.  A spoke  factory, 
sash,  door  and  blind  factory,  cooperage  works,  and  a cot- 
ton and  woolen  mill  are  much  needed  and  would  be  well 
supported. 


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MACON,  the  county  seat  of  Noxubee  county,  is  on  the 
Mobile  and  Ohio  road,  and  near  the  southern  limit  of  the 
famous  “black  prairie’’  country.  It  is  a thriving  and 
prosperous  town  which  has  been  built  up  almost  wholly 
from  the  trade  of  the  rich  country  about  it.  Several  man- 
ufacturing enterprises  are  located  there,  but  still  there  is 
room  for  more.  There  are  probably  as  mail}’'  fine  cattle 
and  hogs  in  Noxubee  as  in  any  county  in  the  State,  and  a 
co-operative  creamery  would  find  that  an  excellent  location. 
An  agricultural  implement  factory  is  greatly  needed,  and  a 
cotton  factory  would  be  warmly  welcomed. 

MAGNOTIA,  the  county  seat  of  Pike  county,  is  on  the 
Illinois  Central  road,  and  is  such  a short  distance  from 
New  Orleans  that  it  has  a ready  market  for  all  its  products. 
The  timber  supply  is  sufficient  for  manufacturers  of  any 
kind  of  wood-work,  and  it  has  the  best  of  clay  for  tile  and 
paving  brick.  The  country  around  the  town  is  a fine  stock 
country,  as  the  native  grasses  furnish  fair  grazing  during 
the  entire  winter,  and  the  summer  pastures  are  unexcelled. 
It  is  so  near  New  Orleans  that  a better  location  for  ship- 
ping milk  would  be  hard  to  find. 

MERID  IAN,  in  Eauderdale  county,  is  a flourishing  town 
and  the  most  important  railroad  center  in  the  State,  being 
the  meeting  point  of  four  main  lines.  Its  facilities  for  trans- 
portation are  so  complete,  and  its  interests  are  so  inti- 
mately connected  with  those  of  every  other  part  of  the 
State,  that  it  offers  unusual  facilities  for  all  kinds  of  manu- 
factures. It  is  so  near  the  great  coal  fields  of  Alabama 
that  fuel  costs  but  little,  the  surrounding  country  has 
abundant  water  power,  it  has  competition  in  freight  rates 
in  all  directions,  and  better  railroad  connections  than  any 
other  town  in  the  State,  We  do  not  know  where  cotton 
manufacturers  could  find  a better  location  than  this  in  the 
whole  South,  and  it  is  probable  that  at  least  one  of  the 
large  companies  coming  from  New  England  will  locate 
there. 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


93 


NATCHEZ,  in  Adams  county  is  at  the  junction  of  the 
Jackson  branch  of  the  Yazoo  Valley  road  and  the  main 
line.  It  is  one  of  the  oldest  towns  in  the  State,  and  one 
of  the  most  desirable  places  for  residence  in  the  whole 
South.  The  public  improvements  of  the  city  are  useful 
and  substantial.  Among  these  are  a good  line  of  street 
cars,  water  works,  gas  plant  and  electric  light  system, 
good  public  and  private  schools,  and  churches  of  every  de- 
nomination. Among  the  raw  materials  most  abundant  are 
the  finest  hardwood  timbers  of  all  kinds,  clay,  cotton,  veg- 
etables and  fruits  for  canning.  Among  the  factories  spe- 
cially desired  are  cooperage  works,  paving  and  pressed 
brick,  tile  and  fire  brick  plants. 

NEW  AEBANY,  the  county  seat  of  Union  county,  is 
at  the  junction  of  the  Memphis  and  Birmingham,  and  the 
Chicago  and  Gulf  railroads.  It  is  on  what  is  known  as 
the  “Pontotoc  Ridge,’’  the  highest  land  in  the  State,  is  in 
a region  noted  for  its  freedom  from  all  inalariou.-  diseases, 
good  springs  and  water  are  plentiful,  and  it  is  one  of  the 
coming  towns.  It  has  a rich  farming  country  about  it,  as 
is  shown  in  the  fact  that  during  the  past  season  it  has 
shipped  large  amounts  of  corn  to  Missouri.  Its  people 
are  wide  awake,  and  will  give  material  assistance  to  any 
manufacturing  enterprises  which  may  be  located  there. 

OCEAN  SPRINGS,  in  Jackson  county,  is  on  the  Louis- 
ville and  Nashville  road,  and  is  the  center  of  a large  and 
constantly  increasing  fruit-growing  business.  Grapes, 
pears,  olives,  figs  and  other  fruits  are  grown  inconsiderable 
quantities.  Its  location  is  delightful,  the  soil  mellow  and 
easily  worked,  and  the  local  trade  is  good.  It  is  greatly 
in  need  of  a box  factory,  as  all  such  supplies  for  the  fruit- 
growers are  imported  from  the  North,  y/hile  the  best 
of  poplar  timber  is  abundant  in  the  surrounding  for- 
ests. The  town  has  no  ice  factory,  and  it  would  be  hard 
to  find  as  good  a location  for  a first-class  hotel.  It  has  a 
larger  trade  in  “Lake  Wool”  than  any  other  town  in  the 
State,  and  is  an  excellent  location  fora  woolen  mill. 


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OKOLONA,  in  Chickasaw  county,  is  on  the  Mobile  and 
Ohio  road,  in  the  heart  of  the  “black  prairie”  country, 
and  is  a live,  go-ahead  town.  The  rich  country  about  it 
gives  a strong  local  trade  for  its  support,  and  it  probably 
ships  more  hay  and  grain  than  any  other  town  on  that  line. 
It  has  but  few  factories,  and  others  would  find  this  an  ex- 
cellent opening.  Factories  for  making  agricultural  imple- 
ments are  especially  wanted. 

OXFORD,  in  Lafayette  county,  is  on  the  Iilinois  Cen- 
tral road.  It  is  the  seat  of  the  State  University,  and  has 
many  families  of  wealth  and  culture.  The  country  has 
still  an  abundant  supply  of  hardwood  timber  in  great  va- 
riety, and  the  attention  of  car  builders,  cooperage  workers, 
wagon  manufacturers,  and  manufacturers  of  furniture  is 
particularly  directed  to  her  vast  resources  in  that  direction. 

PASS  CHRISTIAN,  in  Harrison  county,  is  on  the 
Louisville  and  Nashville  road,  and  is  a famous  summer 
resort,  boasting  of  the  finest  hotel  on  the  Gulf  Coast.  Al- 
though it  is  now  more  of  a pleasure  resort  than  a manu- 
facturing town,  there  are  few  better  locations  for  wood- 
working enterprises,  for  the  packing  of  shrimp  and  oysters, 
and  for  the  manufacture  of  fish  oil  and  commercial  ferti- 
lizers. Having  such  a large  number  of  visitors,  and  being 
so  near  to  New  Orleans,  make  it  an  unusually  good  loca- 
tion for  a dairy. 

ROSEDALE,  in  Bolivar  county,  is  the  most  important 
river  town  between  Memphis  and  Greenville.  It  is  in  one 
of  the  best  sections  of  the  Delta  country,  and  is  the  .shipping 
point  for  immense  quantities  of  cotton  and  corn,  so  that  it 
is  the  center  for  a heavy  country  trade.  It  has  a supply  of 
timber  in  both  hard  and  soft  woods  which  is  practically 
unlimited,  and  is  an  excellent  location  for  wood-working 
factories  of  all  kinds.  A box  factory  is  specially  desired, 
and  a wragon  and  agricultural  implement  factory  would  do 
a heavy  business,  as  all  such  materials  are  now  shipped  in 
from  other  towns. 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


95 


SARDIS,  the  county  peat  of  Panola  county,  is  on  the 
Grenada  and  Memphis  branch  of  the  Illinois  Central  road, 
about  fifty  miles  from  Memphis.  It  is  one  of  the  richest 
agricultural  sections  of  the  State,  has  a good  local  trade, 
and  is  a thriving  town.  It  has  a spoke  and  handle  factory, 
an  oil  mill,  and  other  manufacturing  plants,  but  its  wants 
are  by  no  means  supplied.  It  is  specially  in  need  of  a tan- 
nery, canning  factories,  and  general  wood-working  estab- 
lishments. 

SENATOBIA,  the  county  seat  of  Tate  county,  is  also  on 
the  Grenada  and  Memphis  branch  of  the  Illinois  Central 
road,  and  is  still  nearer  to  Memphis  so  that  it  has  the  ad- 
vantages of  a close  local  market.  The  adjoining  country 
has  a soil  specially  adapted  to  the  growing  of  fruits  and 
vegetables.  It  handles  a large  amount  of  cotton  and  corn, 
and  would  be  an  excellent  location  for  a compress  and  ele- 
vator, as  well  as  for  factories  and  mills.  It  also  offers  ex- 
cellent advantages  for  the  manufacture  of  brick  and  sewer 
pipe  for  the  Memphis  trade. 

STARKVILEE,  in  Oktibbeha  county,  is  at  the  junction 
of  branches  of  the  Illinois  Central,  and  the  Mobile  and 
Ohio  roads,  and  is  the  seat  of  the  Agricultural  and  Me- 
chanical College,  and  of  the  State  Experiment  Station. 
The  towm  has  long  been  noted  for  its  social,  moral,  and  ed- 
ucational advantages,  and  the  country  adjoining  is  being 
rapidly  filled  with  the  very  best  class  of  northern  immi- 
grants. It  is  surrounded  b}^  an  excellent  stock  country, 
and  its  merchants  do  a thriving  local  and  shipping  trade. 
It  has  several  small  factories,  and  among  the  additional 
enterprises  most  needed  are  a tannery,  ice  factory,  harness 
makers,  agricutural  implement  factory,  and  wood-working 
factories  of  all  kinds. 

SUMMIT,  in  Pike  county,  is  on  the  Illinois  Central 
road,  and  derives  its  name  because  of  its  altitude,  which 
is  420  feet  above  tide  water.  Some  twenty-five  business 
houses  compose  the  commercial  world  of  the  place,  besides 


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which  there  are  livery  stables,  hotels,  newspapers,  and 
different  small  shops  and  tradesmen  representing'  every  de- 
partment of  commerce  or  industry  usually  found  in  towns 
of  its  size.  Quite  a number  of  extensive  saw  mills  are 
found  in  its  vicinty.  Some  large  and  successful  growers  of 
early  fruits  and  vegetables  are  located  in  Summit  and  their 
experience  shows  that  it  is  an  attractive  field  for  the  thrifty 
and  practical  northern  and  western  man  for  money  mak- 
ing and  the  upbuilding  of  a new  home.  It  is  a desirable 
town  for  the  location  of  industries.  Adjacent  to  the  town 
“.re  large  tracts  of  hardwood  timber  that  will  furnish  an  un- 
limited supply  for  manufacturing  purposes.  A sash  and 
qooi  factory  or  a wagon  factory  would  find  ready  sale  for 
all  its  products. 

TERRY,  in  Hinds  county,  is  on  the  Illinois  Central 
road,  sixteen  miles  south  from  Jackson,  and  is  a strong 
competitor  of  Crystal  Springs  for  the  honors  of  the  fruit 
and  vegetable  trade,  and  as  lands  there  can  still  be  had  at 
moderate  prices,  it  is  one  of  the  best  locations  for  those 
desiring  to  engage  in  truck  and  fruit  farming.  It  is  a live 
business  town  with  a number  of  small  factories  doing  a 
good  trade,  and  its  nearness  to  the  railroad  center  at  Jack--, 
son  makes  it  an  excellent  location  for  factories  of  all  kinds. 
Its  citizens  will  give  financial  aid  to  almost  any  manufac- 
turing enterprise  which  may  be  locatad  there. 

TUPELO,  in  Lee  county,  is  at  the  junction  of  the  Mem- 
phis and  Birmingham,  and  the  Mobile  and  Ohio  roads, 
and  is  an  important  manufacturing  town.  It  is  almost 
on  tue  line  where  the  black  prairie  and  Pontotoc  Ridge 
sections  meet,  and  so  has  a rich  farming  country  to  sup- 
port its  local  trade,  and  its  merchants  are  doing  a good 
business.  It  has  a large  cotton  compress,  and  several 
small  factories,  but  factories  for  making  agricural  imple- 
ments are  greatly  needed,  and  its  good  shipping  facilities, 
and  it  s direct  connection  with,  the  Alabama  coal  fields, 
make  it  an  excellent  location  for  a cotton  factory. 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


97 


UTICA,  in  Hinds  County,  on  the  Jackson  branch  of  the 
Yazoo  Valley  road,  is  between  the  great  fruit  region  to  the 
east  and  the  rich  farming  country  of  the  cane  hills  and  the 
Mississippi  bottoms  to  the  west,  and  so  has  many  of  the 
peculiar  advantages  of  each.  It  has  an  abundant  supply 
of  hardwood  timber  for  wood- working  factories,  productive 
farming  lands  on  all  sides,  and  is  in  an  excellent  stock- 
growing region.  It  is  a good  location  for  a woolen  mill, 
box  factory,  or  wagon  factory,  as  it  is  the  distributing  point 
for  an  extensive  region. 

VICKSBURG,  in  Warren  county,  is  at  the  junction  or 
the  Queen  and  Crescent  and  the  Yazoo  Valley  roads,  and 
also  on  the  Mississippi  river.  It  is  the  most  important 
town  between  Memphis  and  New  Orleans,  and  is  a large 
manufacturing  center,  having  three  cotton  seed  oil  mills, 
two  ice  factories,  a well-equipped  foundry,  boiler  wmrks, 
sash  and  blind  factory,  and  a host  of  other  factories  which 
are  usually  found  in  a city  of  such  importance.  Her  un- 
usual shipping  facilities  make  it  an  ideal  site  for  factories 
of  all  kinds,  and  a cotton  mill  could  not  find  a rfiore  desirable 
location.  The  city  also  needs  a packing-house,  tannery, 
furniture  factory  and  other  w'ood-workiug  enterprises. 

WATER  VALLEY,  in  Yalobusha  count}'-,  is  on  the  Il- 
linois Central  road.  It  has  an  abundance  of  brick  clay; 
with  no  plant  within  ioo  miles  of  the  city;  fine  clay  for 
earthenware,  tiling- and  fire  brick.  Six  or  eight  kinds  of 
oak,  several  varieties  of  hickory;  poplar  and  beech  are 
handy  to  the  place.  Among  the  industries  needed  are  a 
brick  plant  both  for  the  manufacture  of  earthenware,  tile 
and  fire  brick,  wood-working  plants,  manufacturers  of 
spokes,  hubs,  cooperage,  furniture,  building  materials, 
coffins,  tan  yard,  steam  laundry,  ice  factor}'  and  cold 
storage,  etc. 

WESSON,  in  Copiah  county,  is  on  the  Illinois  Central 
road,  and  is  a live  manufacturing  town.  It  has  a large 
water  power  which  is  only  partially  utilized  by  the  Missis- 


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sippi  Mills,  the  largest  cotton  manufacturing  company  in 
the  South,  and  one  having  a national  reputation.  In  this 
factory  from  1200  to  1300  hands  are  employed,  and  the 
present  monthly  pay  roll  amounts  to  from  $23,000  to  $25,- 
000  per  month.  There  is  a good  opportunity  for  the  loca- 
tion of  a jeans  pants  factory  and  a large  tailoring  estab- 
lishment, where  the  products  of  the  mills  could  be  made 
into  pants,  shirts  and  other  wearing  apparel.  Such  a large 
population  engaged  in  manufacturing  makes  this  one  of 
the  best  places  in  the  State  for  market  gardening  and  dai- 
rying. 

WEST  POINT,  in  Clay  county,  is  an  important  rail- 
road center,  being  at  the  crossing  of  the  Mobile  and  Ohio, 
Illinois  Central,  and  the  Georgia  Pacific  roads.  It  is 
within  easy  reach  of  the  coal  fields  of  Alabama,  and 
so  is  an  excellent  location  for  factories.  Furniture  and 
plow  factories  are  needed,  as  well  as  barrel  and  box  facto- 
ries, and  an  extensive  cotton  factory  could  purchase  all  its 
raw  material  direct  from  the  planters’  wagons.  The  sur- 
rounding country  is  being  rapidly  filled  with  northern  immi- 
grants, and  the  price  of  land  has  advanced  fully  50  per  cent, 
within  the  last  j^ear.  The  town  has  excellent  schools,  and 
the  lands  all  around  the  town  are  peculiarly  adapted  for 
orchard  fruits,  vegetables,  grapes,  strawberries,  etc.,  and 
the  culture  of  these  is  rewarded  with  good  profit. 

WINONA,  in  Montgomery  county,  is  at  the  junction  of 
the  Georgia  Pacific,  and  the  Illinois  Central  roads,  and  is 
in  the  center  of  a fine  agricultural  country.  It  has  an  ex- 
tensive cotton  compress  and  quite  a number  of  small  man- 
ufacturing plants,  but  its  excellent  water  power,  its  good 
railroad  connections,  and  the  rich  farming  country  by 
which  it  is  surrounded,  all  make  it  an  attractive  point  for 
manufacturing  enterprises  of  any  capacity.  It  has  a good 
supply  of  hardwood  timber  for  the  manufacture  of  agricul- 
tural machinery,  and  it  would  be  a good  distributing  point 
for  a fertilizer  factory. 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


99 


YAZOO  CITY,  in  Yazoo  county,  is  on  the  Jackson  and 
Parsons  branch,  of  the  Illinois  Central  road,  and  also  on 
the  Yazoo  river,  so  it  has  the  advantage  of  both  water  and 
rail  transportation.  It  has  one  of  the  finest  school  build- 
ings in  the  State,  its  people  are  progressive,  and  its  busi- 
ness houses  solid  and  reliable.  It  is  in  the  heart  of  the 
best  cotton  growing  district  in  the  world,  especially  for  the 
production  of  the  “long  staple”  cotton  needed  for  the 
making  of  the  finer  grades  of  cloths,  and  extensive  cotton 
manufacturing  plants  will  certainly  be  located  there 
in  the  immediate  future.  Wood-working  establishments 
will  find  abundant  supplies  of  the  best  timber  near  at  hand, 
and  an  active  demand  for  all  their  products.  Yazoo  City 
is  the  best  business  location  in  that  part  of  the  State. 


This  brief  outline  of  some  of  the  special  advantages 
possessed  by  fifty  of  the  more  important  towns  in  the  State 
gives  only  a faint  suggestion  of  the  many  attractions  which 
Mississippi  offers  to  manufacturers.  Ever  since  its  first 
settlement,  agriculture  has  led  manufactures  in  nearly 
every  locality,  and  we  have  consequently  been  at  the  great 
disadvantage  of  exchanging  raw  materials  for  manufac- 
tured products  brought  from  the  ISTorth — and  have  paid 
freights  both  waj’s.  The  time  for  the  establishment  of  fac- 
tories for  using  our  raw  material  at  home  has  now  come, 
and  the  factories  which  have  been  established  during  the 
last  five  years  are  already  working  great  changes  in  the 
trade  of  every  little  town. 

The  bulk  of  the  immigration  now  coming  in  so  rap- 
idly is  going  onto  farms,  and  so  is  creating  a still  greater 
demand  for  manufactured  goods  such  as  are  needed  by 
new  settlers  in  every  country,  and  manufacturers  will 
never  have  a better  time  than  now  for  locating  in  a region 
where  they  will  have  a growing  demand  for  goods  of  every 
kind. 

Although  the  State  produces  such  an  immense  quan- 
tity of  cotton,  not  i per  cent,  of  the  crop  is  manufactured 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


here,  though  with  our  abundant  water  power,  cheap  fuel 
aud  cheap  labor,  the  work  could  be  done  here  at  fully  io 
per  cent,  less  cost  than  in  New.  England.  The  expenses 
for  building,  fuel  and  labor  are  less  here  than  there,  while 
the  saving  in  freights  alone  would  give  a fair  profit. 

Although  80  per  cent,  of  the  people  in  Mississippi  are 
farmers,  we  have  almost  no  manufacturers  of  agricultural  im- 
plements and  machinery  for  which  every  farmer  is  obliged 
to  spend  so  large  a part  of  his  income  annually.  That  no 
better  timber  for  their  manufacture  can  be  found  anywhere 
is  shown  in  the  fact  that  during  the  last  five  years  the 
shipment  of  timber  from  Mississippi  to  Indiana  and  Illi- 
nois and  Michigan  has  become  an  important  industry.  In 
addition  to  the  freight  on  all  this  lumber  we  have  to  pay 
from  io  to  20  per  cent,  of  the  cost  of  most  of  our  imple- 
ments as  freight  from  the  factory  to  our  farms.  With  the 
raw  material  so  abundant,  and  the  demand  for  tools  and 
machinery  so  constant,  these  double  freights  alone  would 
give  a handsome  profit  to  the  Mississippi  manufacturer. 

Oaks  and  sumac  for  tanning  are  abundant  over  a large 
part  of  the  State,  and  hides  are  a drug  in  the  market,  but 
we  have  almost  no  tanneries.  Our  “Take  Wools’’  have  a 
reputation  wherever  woolen  goods  are  made,  but  are  all 
shipped  out  of  the  State  for  manufacturing.  In  fact,  scarcely 
any  branch  of  manufactures  can  be  mentioned  for  which 
we  have  not  the  raw  material  in  excess,  and  the  products 
of  which  we  do  not  import.  At  present  the  whole  South, 
and  especially  Mississippi,  offers  better  opportunities  for 
the  location  of  factories  than  does  any  other  part  of  the 
country. 

WHAT  IS  THE  BEST  PART  OF  THE  STATE? 

This  is  the  question  which  is  asked  more  frequently 
than  is  any  other,  and  is  one  to  which  it  is  impossible 
to  give  a definite  answer.  The  locality  which  would  be  the 
best  for  one  might  be  the  very  worst  for  another,  and  the 


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immigrant  should  first  decide  what  he  wants,  and  then  he 
can  look  for  it  intelligently. 

Dr.  Hilgard,  former  State  Geologist,  has  studied  the 
soils  of  the  State  more  thoroughly  than  has  any  one  else, 
and  makes  the  following  divisions  which  have  come  into 
very  general  use  for  purposes  of  description: 

I.  Northeastern  prairie  region. 

r.  Rotten  limestone  or  black  prairies. 

2.  Pontotoc  ridge. 

II.  Flatwoods  region. 

1.  Post-oak  flatwoods. 

2.  White-oak  flatwoods. 

III.  Yellow  loam  or  oak  uplands  region. 

1.  Flatwood  hills. 

2.  Short-leaf  pine  and  oak  uplands. 

3.  The  red  lands. 

4.  The  sandy  oak  uplands. 

5.  The  brown  loam  table-lands. 

IV.  Mississippi  bottom  region. 

V.  Cane  hills  region. 

VI.  Central  prairie  region. 

VII.  Dong-leaf  pine  region, 
i.  Dong-leaf  pine  hills. 

VIII.  Doug  and  short-leaf  pine  and  oak  lands, 
i.  Sandy  pine  hills. 

2 Pine  flats  and  coast  region. 

In  speaking  of  these  several  regions  there  can  be  no 
better  descriptions  of  the  soils  than  those  given  by  Dr. 
Hilgard,  from  whom  we  shall  quote  frequently.  The  dif- 
ferent regions  are  not  usually  separated  by  sharply  drawn 
lines,  but  merge  into  each  other,  often  by  insensible  gra- 
dations, and  the  descriptions  are  those  of  the  general  char- 
acter of  the  districts,  and  do  not  necessarily  cover  every 
farm  within  its  limits.  The  experiences  of  those  who  have 
lived  in  any  locality  are  of  great  value  in  knowing  its  spe- 
cial advantages  and  drawbacks,  and  in  speaking  of  the  dif- 


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ferent  soil  regions  of  the  State  we  shall  quote  largely  from 
letters  written  bjr  men  who  have  come  here  from  the  North 
and  West,  and  who  have  tried  the  country  for  themselves. 

I.  THE  NORTHEASTERN  PRAIRIE  REGION. 

This  division , characterized  by  the  more  or  less  gen- 
eral occurrence  of  heavy,  calcareous  cla}"  soils,  (popularly 
called  “prairie”  soils  even  when  fully  timbered)  presents 
two  very  strongly  defined  features,  the  one  being  largely 
level  calcareous  prairie,  the  other  a rolling,  mostly  timb- 
bered  region. 

The  rotten  limestone,  or  black  prairie  region,  forms  a 
belt  varying  in  width  from  six  to  twenty-five  miles,  and 
extending  about  150  miles  southward  from  Alcorn  county, 
including  large  portions  of  Prentiss,  Lee,  Chickasaw,  Mon- 
roe, Clay,  Oktibbeha,  Lowndes,  and  Noxubee  counties,  and 
passing  through  a portion  of  Kemper  county  into  Alabama. 
The  Mobile  and  Ohio  railroad  passes  through  almost  the 
entire  length  of  this  region;  the  Memphis  and  Birming- 
ham road  crosses  it  in  Lee  and  Monroe  counties;  the  Geor- 
gia Pacific  and  the  Illinois  Central  cross  it  in  Clay  and 
Monroe  counties.  The  principal  towns  are  Corinth, 
Booneville,  Tupelo,  Okolona,  Aberdeen,  West  Point, 
Starkville,  Columbus,  Brooksville  and  Macon. 

The  native  timber  is  nearly  all  hardwood,  a large 
part  of  that  of  “milling  size”  having  been  removed.  The 
soil,  like  all  other  soils  which  are  rich  in  lime,  is  exceeding- 
ly fertile,  and  this  region  has  been  truthfully  called  “The 
Egypt  of  the  South.”  This  is  pre-eminently  a stock  and 
grain  country,  and  the  man  who  buys  land  there  is  not 
likely  to  make  a mistake.  Although  the  soil  is  of  almost 
inexhaustible  fertility,  it  requires  somewhat  peculiar  man- 
agement to  prevent  the  subsoil  from  becoming  so  dense 
and  compact  as  to  make  crops  suffer  in  excessively  wet 
weather  and  in  times  of  drouth,  but  no  soil  is  more  easify 
mananaged  when  it  is  once  understood.  Tile  draining 
benefits  it  greatly,  and  subsoiling  produces  marked 


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103 


changes  for  the  better.  Commercial  fertilizers,  and  even 
stable  manure  produce  almost  no  effect,  and  when  the  land 
fails  to  produce  the  crops  which  may  reasonably  be  ex- 
pected it  is  almost  invariably  due  to  the  bad  mechanical 
condition  of  the  soil,  and  not  to  any  want  of  fertility.  The 
cultivation  of  red  clover  and  melilotus,  and  the  plowing  of 
them  under  at  the  end  of  the  second  season  is  almost  per- 
fect insurance  of  a good  yield  of  whatever  may  be  planted 
during  the  two  or  three  following  seasons.  No  other  man- 
agement has  been  found  which  is  so  simple,  cheap,  and  ef- 
fective, and  the  hay  from  the  clovers  themselves  is  one  of 
the  most  profitable  crops  which  can  be  grown.  This  whole 
section  is  admirably  adapted  to  the  growing  of  corn  and 
other  grains,  it  will  make  heavy  crops  of  hay,  and  gives 
the  best  of  pastures.  Mr.  E.  C.  Robertson,  of  Cincinnati, 
who  has  made  a thorough  study  of  the  agricultural  possi- 
bilities of  the  whole  South,  says: 

“This  prairie  region  combines  more  favorable  condi- 
tions for  general  agriculture  than  any  other  portion  of 
America.  Some  of  the  farms  are  considered  worn  out  be- 
cause they  do  not  produce  as  large  crops  of  cotton  as  they 
did  fifty  years  ago.  The  analysis  of  the  soils,  however, 
shows  that  the  only  element  lacking  to  make  them  as  rich 
as  can  be  desired,  is  vegetable  humus,  which  can  easily  be 
supplied  by  the  growth  of  clovers  and  grasses.  The  plant- 
ers of  this  section  have  been  devoting  their  entire  attention 
to  the  production  of  cotton,  in  many  cases  not  even  grow- 
ing the  food  for  the  stock  and  the  help  necessary  to  carry 
on  the  plantations.  Farming  under  such  conditions  can- 
not prove  profitable  at  the  present  low  price  of  cotton. 
Stock-raising  and  all  general  farm  products  can  be  grown 
with  the  greatest  success  in  this  region.  The  land  is  just 
rolling  enough  to  afford  good  drainage.  It  is  a prairie  re- 
gion, but  yet  there  is  enough  timber  to  supply  all  the 
needs  of  the  country.  Improved  farms  can  be  purchased 
near  the  railroad  at  from  $10  to  $15  an  acre.” 

T.  B.  Gregory  writes: 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


“I  have  lived  here  in  Mississippi  a little  over  ten 
years  and  have  enjoyed  good  health  all  that  time;  I know 
of  others  who  came  here  with  poor  health  that  became 
healthy  and  strong.  I consider  this  part  of  Mississippi 
very  healthy. 

As  a farming  country,  stock  raising,  orchard,  and  fruit 
raising  section  it  is  hard  to  beat.  We  have  the  finest  of 
native  grasses  here  for  pasture  on  which  stock  thrive  and 
get  very  fat.  Our  climate  is  so  mild  that  stock  can  be 
raised  much  cheaper  than  in  the  cold  climate  of  the  North 
where  they  have  to  feed  so  long. 

I have  grown  red  clover  for  five  or  six  years  and 
have  proved  it  to  be  a success  in  this  county  beyond  a 
doubt.  The  mint  crop  pays  as  well  here  as  in  Michigan. 

We  have  good  schools  and  churches  all  over  the 
country  in  every  neighborhood  and  here  the  society  is 
good.  Political  liberties  are  just  the  same  here  as  in  Illi- 
nois and  elsewhere.  I am,  or  have  been  a third  party 
man. 

I was  raised  in  Galesburg,  Knox  Co.,  111.,  and  have 
spent  a little  time  in  Missouri  and  Kansas.  I have  farmed 
in  all  of  these  States  and  I believe  this  is  the  country  for  a 
man  of  moderate  means  and  plenty  of  grit. 

I will  take  pleasure  in  any  way  I can  to  advance  the 
interests  of  this  country.  I often  receive  letters  of  inquiry 
from  my  friends  in  the  North.  If  I could  be  among  them 
a little  I could  do  some  good  but  letters  do  not  amount  to 
much.” 

The  “mint”  to  which  Mr.  Gregory  refers  is  the  “pep- 
permint” which  is  used  so  largely  in  making  extracts. 
Until  quite  recently  four-fifths  of  the  worlds  supply  was 
grown  in  three  or  four  counties  in  New  York  and  Michi- 
gan, but  during  the  last  eight  years  it  has  been  found  that 
it  can  be  produced  at  least  cost  on  these  black  prairie 
lands,  and  it  now  appears  as  though  this  section  would 
eventually. control  the  trade. 

Mr.  W.  T.  Tittle  writes: 

“As  a mild  and  delightful  climate  this  is  surpassed  by 


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105 


no  other,  not  being  as  warm  in  summer  as  northern  Illi- 
nois, and  seldom  if  ever  the  mercury  reaches  within  10 
degrees  of  zero  in  winter. 

People  suffering  with  consumption,  catarrh,  bron- 
chitis and  lung  troubles  find  almost  instant  relief  when 
they  come  here  and  many  find  permanent  cures.  Scarlet 
fever  and  diptheria  are  unknown. 

I would  say  to  young  men  who  are  unable  to  invest  in 
high  priced  lands  of  the  North  and  West,  and  who  are 
seeking  homes,  ‘Come  South  where  you  will  find  im- 
proved farms  close  to  good  markets  for  less  than  you  can 
buy  a homestead  and  improve  the  raw  lands  on  the  fron- 
tier; where  you  are  compelled  to  haul  high-priced  lumber 
and  fuel  a long  distance  to  improve  the  lands  which  you 
have  paid  more  for  than  you  can  get  farms  already  broken 
in,  and  fenced,  and  supplied  with  wells  of  pure  fresh 
water;  comfortable  houses,  orchards  and  beautiful  forests 
at  the  very  door,  which  will  afford  fuel  and  good  shelter 
and  range  for  the  stock;  while  in  the  West  they  are  ex- 
posed to  the  bleak  and  unobstructed  blizzards  with  fre- 
quently no  other  shelter  than  a barbed  wire  fence  to  split 
the  wild  winds  and  storms.’ 

Here  he  will  find  the  comforts  of  life  prepared  for  him 
as  soon  as  he  arrives,  where  he  is  free  from  such  pests  as 
flies,  mosquitoes,  buffalo-gnats  and  green-head  flies,  such 
as  he  and  his  stock  have  to  contend  with  in  the  North, 
West  and  other  portions  of  the  South.  He  will  also  find 
agreeable  and  desirable  neighbors  willing  and  ready  to 
promote  his  interests  in  every  way,  and  be  close  to  good 
schools  and  churches,  instead  of  living  on  the  vast  prairies 
with  here  and  there  an  occasional  house  in  the  dim  dis- 
tance; where  he  is  compelled  to  live  in  solitude  and  lone- 
liness for  several  years  or  until  such  a time  as  people  will 
settle  near  him,  a few  families  at  a time.  Here  he  can  sit  in 
the  shade  of  a giant  oak  and  sing  ‘My  little  old  log  cabin 
in  the  lane,’  instead  of  ‘My  little  old  sod  shanty  on  the 
claim.’  ” 


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T.  S.  Little  says: 

“I  have  lived  in  this  State  six  years,  and  find  the 
climate  all  that  is  desired.  The  soil  is  good  for  all  kinds 
of  grain,  wheat,  oats,  barley,  potatoes,  corn,  tobacco,  flax, 
grapes,  peaches,  apples,  pears,  plums,  and  all  small  fruit. 
The  people  are  kind  and  sociable.  We  have  good  schools 
and  churches  and  a fine  climate.  Our  political  liberty  is 
as  good  as  elsewhere.  I do  not  wish  to  return  to  the  North 
any  more,  as  I love  this  climate  for  health  and  comfort. 
We  have  fine  timber  on  bottom  lands. 

My  former  place  of  residence  was  Illinois.  I am  a 
carpenter  by  occupation.  Mj^  political  views  are  Repub* 
lican.  The  people  do  not  interfere  with  my  opinions  as  is 
supposed  in  the  North.  The  people  are  disposed  to  vote  as 
they  please.  I hope  that  the  people  of  the  North  will 
come  and  see  for  themselves.” 

F.  R.  Hamlin  writes: 

“I  came  from  Bedford,  Cuyahoga  County  Ohio  to 
this  place  ten  years  ago  and  have  been  engaged  in  the 
dairy  business  ever  since.  Am  now  milking  fifty  cows 
and  think  this  country  especially  adapted  to  this 
business.  We  have  men  now  at  work  in  this  town  trying 
to  establish  a creamery  here  for  the  manufacture  of  but- 
ter by  the  centrifugal  process. 

‘‘I  think  the  climate  is  all  that  could  be  wished  for. 
Schools,  A.  No. i.  Society  in  this  vicinity  is  of  the  very 
best.  Political  liberty  all  that  could  be  desired.  I have 
always  voted  as  I chose  without  fear  or  trembling,  and 
the  Republican  ticket  at  that. 

Market  gardening  is  a leading  industry.” 

J.  M.  Clapper  says  : 

‘‘We  came  from  Ohio  five  years  ago  and  located  on  a 
farm  two  miles  from.  West  Point,  and  can  truly  say,  we  are 
very  much  pleased  with  the  South.  I find  the  soil  very 
productive,  and  one  of  the  finest  climates  in  the  world  and 
the  very  best  of  water. 


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107 


We  all  have  good  health.  I came  here  with  the 
catarrh  very  bad,  but  I have  never  had  any  trouble  with 
it  here,  and  have  not  taken  an}'  medicine  for  it.  We  have 
a good  graded  school  and  five  churches.  We  find  the 
people  very  kind  and  sociable,  and  always  ready  to  give 
a helping  hand. 

We  have  an  abundance  of  timber  here  and  need  the 
wood-working  and  manufacturing.  We  have  fruits  of  all 
kinds  and  raise  all  kinds  of  early  vegetables  to  ship,  as  we 
can  raise  tw'O  crops  of  vegetables  here  a year. 

It  is  a splendid  country  in  which  to  raise  stock,  sheep 
and  cattle.” 

H.  E.  Fitts,  an  Aberdeen  man,  writes: 

I ivas  born  and  raised  in  nothern  Ohio,  served  three 
years  in  the  army,  came  south  in  the  fall  of  1865  and  lived 
in  Mississippi  since  187c. 

In  all  that  time  I have  never  heard  one  word  to  wound 
my  feelings  on  account  of  my  being  a northern  man  and  a 
Federal  soldier,  in  fact,  the  warmest  friends  of  my  life  are 
among  those  wTho  ‘‘wore  the  grey.” 

Now,  as  to  climate,  wdiile  I do  not  consider  this  a 
‘‘paradise,”  I do  consider  this  a far  more  congenial  cli- 
mate than  that  of  the  North  and  West.  ;Tis  more  pleas- 
ant to  read  of  blizzards  than  to  be  in  them.  There  are  but 
few  days  of  the  year  too  cold  to  do  outdoor  work,  and 
while  we  have  long  summers  the  heat  is  not  as  oppressive 
as  in  the  North.  My  first  year  in  Mississippi  I worked  all 
the  summer  in  the  field. 

I think  the  health  of  this  country  will  compare  favor- 
ably with  any  State  in  the  Union,  and  as  far  as  soil  is  con- 
cerned we  have  quite  a variety — black  prairie,  post  oak, 
hummock,  sandy  loam,  and  clay  varying  in  richness.  At 
this  particular  point,  Aberdeen,  we  have  the  finest  arte- 
sian water  on  earth. 

The  productions  of  the  region  are  varied.  While  cot- 
ton has  been  king,  the  people  are  turning  more  to  grain, 
grasses  and  stock,  all  of  wThich  do  well.  I have  raised  as 


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fine  red  clover  here  as  I have  seen  anywhere.  As  to 
church  privileges,  in  all  towns  you  will  find  nearfy  every 
denomination  represented.  At  this  place  we  have  six  dif- 
ferent churches.  The  buildings  will  compare  favorably 
with  any  town  of  its  size  anywhere,  and  besides  there  are 
four  churches  for  colored  people.  In  some  localities  in  the 
country  the  church  privileges  would  not  be  so  good,  but 
in  nearly  every  neighborhood  you  will  find  a church-house 
and  a school-house.  We  have  free  school  five  months  in 
the  year,  while  in  towns  vTe  have  graded  schools  that  will 
compare  favorably  with  any  section. 

Socially,  the  people  are  kind  hearted  and  generous, 
always  ready  to  extend  a hearty  welcome  to  any  one  com- 
ing among  them.  Here,  as  elsewhere,  a person’s  conduct 
and  moral  bearing  has  largely  to  do  with  the  treatment  he 
receives. 

Politically,  the  people  are  largely  one  way,  owing 
largefy  to  the  race  question;  still,  they  accord  to  every 
man  the  right  to  his  political  convictions,  and  he  will  be 
protected  in  his  political  rights.  Times  have  changed  very 
perceptibly  in  the  past  twenty  years,  and  I predict  for  this 
country,  that  with  a change  from  “all  cotton”  to  diversi- 
fied crops  and  a liberal  influx  of  Northern  capital  and  en- 
ergy, a degree  of  prosperity  never  before  attained.  And  I 
believe  that  when  this  country  is  settled  up  with  medium 
sized  farms  with  their  owners  living  on  them,  improving 
and  beautifying  and  making  each  farm  self-sustaining,  with 
cotton  as  a surplus,  then,  indeed,  will  we  have  a beautiful 
Southland  and  as  desirable  a country  to  live  in  as  there  is 
on  the  face  of  the  earth,  and  this,  I honestly  believe,  is 
the  future  of  the  Sunny  South.” 

The  Aberdeen  Examiner  says: 

“There  are  some  men  who  are  undecided  what  to  do 
next  year  to  make  a living,  and  it  is  well  to  call  their  at- 
tention to  the  following  fact  : 

On  a farm  about  ten  acres,  not  many  miles  from  Aber- 
deen, Miss.,  a western  man  this  year  raised  and  sold  $300 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


109 


worth  of  Irish  potatoes  on  less  than  three  acres;  $100 
worth  of  cucumbers  on  half  an  acre;  over  $100  worth  of 
tomatoes  on  one  acre,  besides  smaller  sums  on  other 
vegetables,  cabbage,  turnips,  etc.  He  had  also  twenty 
head  of  cattle  and  two  good  horses,  and  sold  enough  milk 
and  butter  to  pay  the  entire  expense  of  the  farm  and  his 
famty. 

Another  western  man  near  him  raised  $1,200  worth  of 
Irish  potatoes  on  seven  acres,  and  had  the  money  in  hand 
before  the  last  of  June.” 

PONTOTOC  RIDGE. 

The  Pontotoc  ridge  is  a belt  of  ridgey  and  sometimes 
hilly  oak  uplands  whose  main  body  lies  in  Tippah,  Union, 
and  Chickasaw  counties,  immediately  west  of  the  black 
prairie  region.  The  Gulf  and  Chicago  railroad  runs 
nearly  through  the  centre  of  the  region,  while  the  Mem- 
phis and  Birmingham  crosses  it  from  west  to  east.  The 
principal  towns  in  this  section  are  Ripley,  New  Albany, 
and  Pontotoc. 

The  soil  in  this  region  is  quite  variable,  being  often 
of  a deep  red  color  owing  to  the  presence  of  iron,  while 
in  other  places  it  is  quite  sandy,  and  in  other  localities 
strongly  impregnated  with  lime.  Some  of  the  soils  are 
exceedingly  fertile,  while  others  are  only  moderately 
productive.  Many  of  the  bottom  lands,  especialy  toward 
the  southern  part  of  the  ridge,  although  somewhat  un- 
promising in  general  appearance,  are  fully  as  productive 
as  those  in  the  black  prairie,  producing  from  sixty  to 
eighty  bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre,  and  heavjr  yields  of 
hay.  It  has  an  abundant  supply  of  fine  springs,  frequent 
waterpowers,  and  a plentiful  supply  of  hardwood  timbers. 
In  some  sections  the  hills  “wash”  badly,  and  are  .better 
suited  for  pastures  than  for  cultivation,  but  there  are 
other  sections  where  the  soil  is  the  equal  of  any  in  the 
country,  as  is  shown  by  the  fact  that  during  the  past 


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year  this  region  lias  shipped  large  amounts  of  corn,  not 
only  to  Alabama  and  Georgia,  but  to  Missouri.  There  are 
no  better  lands  in  the  state  than  are  to  be  found  in  this 
region,  but  they  should  be  selected  with  care  and  good 
judgement. 

THE  FEATWOODS  REGION. 

The  so-called  “Flatwoods  region”  is  a narrow  belt 
of  country  west  of  the  Pontotoc  ridge  and  black  prairie 
country,  and  extends  from  Tippah  to  Kemper  county, 
being  widest  in  Pontotoc,  Chickasaw  and  Oktibbeha  coun- 
ties, the  divide  between  the  waters  of  the  Mississippi  and 
the  Tombigbee  rivers  being  largely  within  this  region. 
Its  soil  is  extremely  variable  in  character,  some  of  it  being 
quite  light  and  sandy  and  fit  for  little  except  pasture 
lands,  while  in  other  sections  it  is  of  wonderful  richness. 
In  a large  part  of  the  region  the  subsoil  is  very  heavy 
and  close  so  that  the  almost  level  surface  of  the  laud 
draius  very  slowly,  and  cannot  be  worked  until  late  in 
the  season,  and  the  roads  sometimes  become  almost  im- 
passible during  winter.  The  streams  are,  many  of  them, 
but  a few  feet  below  the  general  level  of  the  country,  and 
the  natural  drainage  is  therefore  very  slow,  and  during 
the  heavy  winter  rains  man}^  of  the  low  lands  become 
covered  with  wrater.  These  low  and  wet  lauds  however 
are  very  fertile,  and  when  proper  arrangements  are  made 
for  draining  them,  usually  by  open  ditches,  there  are 
few  soils  which  are  more  productive. 

In  the  “White-oak  Flatwoods”  which  are  principally 
in  the  southern  part  of  the  region,  the  ground  is  of  a more 
sandy  nature,  is  more  easily  worked,  and  makes  excellent 
crops  of  corn,  grains,  potatoes,  hay,  etc.,  but  is  not  regarded 
as  being  a good  cotton  soil.  The  timber  along  the 
streams  in  this  region  is  of  great  value,  white  and  chest- 
nut oaks  being  abundant,  while  hickory,  ash  and  poplar 
are  quite  common  and  grow  to  a large  size.  This  region 


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Ill 


is  more  especially  a hay  and  stock  country,  many  of  the 
farms  along  the  streams  making  heavy  crops  of  hay,  even 
when  but  little  attention  has  been  given  to  their  drain- 
age. There  are  more  creameries  in  this  region  than  in  any 
other  equal  area  in  the  state. 

YELLOW  LOAM  OR  OAK  UPLANDS. 

The  main  body  of  the  lands  classed  as  ‘fellow  loam” 
lie  between  those  last  described  on  the  east,  and  the  cane 
hills  adjoining  the  Delta  region  on  the  west,  with  a south- 
western extension  reaching  as  far  as  Franklin  county. 
The  lauds  along  the  Illinois  Central  road  are  mostly  of 
this  character,  as  are  those  on  the  Memphis  and  Birming- 
ham road  from  Memphis  nearly  to  New  A|bauy,  and  on 
the  Georgia  Pacific  from  Greenwood  to  Maben.  In  the 
extreme  northeastern  part  of  the  State  is  another  similar 
region  including  ngarly  all  of  Tishomingo  and  Itawamba 
counties,  with  parts  of  Alcorn,  Prentiss,  Monroe,  and 
Lowndes  counties.  These  lands  show  all  degrees  of  transi- 
tion into  those  of  surrounding  regions,  and  their  limits  can- 
not be Accurately  defined. 

In  the  better  class  of  the  uplands,  the  soils  are  a 
brownish  or  yellowish  loam,  of  a light,  or  only  moderately 
heavjr  texture,  and  are  underlaid  sometimes  by  a hard- 
pan  and  sometimes  by  loose  sands.  On  the  poorer  up- 
lands the  soil  is  often  thin,  and  though  often  quite  pro- 
ductive at  first,  soon  becomes  exhausted.  The  low  lands 
in  this  region,  the  creek  bottoms  and  all  the  valley  lands, 
are  usualfy  fertile  and  lasting,  producing  abundant  crops 
after  more  than  fifty  j^ears  of  cultivation.  Many  of  the 
hill  soils  are  rich  in  lime,  and  the  constant  washings  con- 
tinually add  fresh  deposits  to  the  vallej"  lands,  which  thus 
become  richer  with  each  succeeding  year.  The  soils  are 
generally  lighter  and  much  more  easily  worked  than  those 
previously  described,  and  are  adapted  to  the  widest  range 
of  crops.  They  are  usually  wrell  drained,  so  they  can  be 


I 12 


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worked  earfy  in  the  season,  and  as  the  roots  of  the  growing 
crops  can  easily  penetrate  into  the  porous  subsoil,  they  suf- 
fer but  little  from  drouth.  The  lighter  soils  of  the  hills 
are  often  badty  washed,  and  in  the  many  places,  the  deep 
scars  and  furrows  left  by  running  water  give  a very  unat- 
tractive appearance  to  the  land,  and  are  sometimes  so  nu- 
merous as  to  give  a very  unfavorable  impression  of  the 
whole  region.  These  washed  and  gullied  hills  however, 
form  but  a very  small  part  of  the  whole  area,  and  the  val- 
leys between  are  made  correspondingly  richer  by  the  sur- 
face  soil  which  is  washed  from  the  hills.  Where  the  land 
receives  anything  like  fair  attention  this  washng  can  all 
be  prevented  by  “circling”  the  rows  in  the  cultivated 
fields,  and  by  a little  care  in  stooping  the  washes  as  soon 
as  they  make  their  appearance.  Care  in  their  selection 
will  enable  the  purchaser  to  find  all  the  lands  he  may 
want  which  are  wholly  free  from  these  washes,  in  almost 
any  locality. 

Nearly  every  branch  of  agriculture  may  be  followed 
here  successfully,  and  the  farmer  who  wishes  to  pursue 
any  special  line  can  easily  find  soils  and  locations 
suited  to  his  needs.  On  the  higher  hill  lands  cotton  does 
not  grow  as  large  as  in  some  parts  of  the  State,  but  the 
plants  are  unusually  well  fruited,  and  being  smaller,  the 
rows  can  be  closer,  and  so  the  yield  is  not  materially  less 
than  in  the  lower  lands.  Cow  peas,  lespedeza  and  other 
hay  crops  grow  well  on  these  hills,  and  afford  the  most  nu- 
tritious of  hajr  and  pasturage.  On  the  lower  lands,  corn, 
grains  and  other  crops  succeed  as  well  as  anywhere 
in  the  country,  yields  of  from  seventy-five  to  ioo 
bushels  of  corn  to  the  acre  being  not  uncommon.  Sor- 
ghum does  well,  and  in  the  southern  part  of  the  region 
sugar  cane  is  grown  on  nearly  every  farm.  Oats  may  be 
sown  at  any  time  from  October  to  March,  and  when  sown 
in  the  fall  give  continuous  winter  grazing.  Potatoes,  both 
sweet  and  Irish,  do  well  here,  and  of  the  latter  two 
crops  can  be  grown  during  each  season.  As  a rule,  the 


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*13 

farms  in  this  region  are  small,  and  the  white  population 
far  exceeds  the  negro. 

In  the  “Flatwood  Hills”  the  soil  approaches  that  of 
the  true  flatwoods  in  character,  but  the  land  is  higher  and 
so  less  subject  to  overflows.  In  many  places  the  subsoil  is 
quite  compact  and  the  fields  require  deep  cultivation  to 
make  them  productive.  The  lower  hillsides  and  the  creek 
bottoms  are  the  better  lands. 

In  the  ‘‘Short-leaf  Pine  and  Oak  Uplands”  the  pines 
usually  occur  most  abundantly  on  the  hills,  while  on  the 
lower  lands  and  in  the  valleys  the  oaks  are  more  common. 
The  soil  is  usually  light  colored,  and  is  underlaid  with 
either  clay  or  sand.  Where  the  clay  subsoil  prevails,  the 
lands  are  much  more  durable  than  are  those  which  are 
underlaid  with  sand.  Upland  tracts  with  but  little  pin  - md 
a larger  proportion  of  hardwood  occur  frequently  in  Cal- 
houn, Webster  and  Choctaw  counties,  and  these  [n  ets 
make  excellent  farming  lauds,  especially  for  corn  and 
other  grains. 

In  the  central  part  of  the  State,  and  more  commonly 
in  Attala,  Winston,  Leake  and  Neshoba  counties,  are  fre- 
quently-' areas  of  “Red  Lands”  which  are  very  fertile  and 
durable.  The  ground  is  usually'  rolling  with  narrow  creek 
bottoms,  and  the  soil  is  not  difficult  to  v'ork.  A green- 
sand fertilizei  of  great  value  is  found  mixed  with  many'  of 
these  red  soils  which  adds  greatly'  to  their  lasting  quality. 

The  ‘‘Sandy'  Oak  Uplands”  are  broken  and  hilly  lands 
often  intervening  between  the  short-leaf  pine  country  and 
the  table  lands,  or  extending  in  ridges  into  lands  of  other 
descriptions.  These  lands  are  often  called  “Blackjack 
Ridges,”  the  soil  is  mostly  sandy  and  inferior  in  quality 
to  that  of  the  table  lands.  These  ridges,  however,  are 
usually  narrow,  and  do  not  occupy  any'  large  area,  being 
more  common  in  Marshall  and  Lafayette  counties  than 
elsewhere. 

The  “BrowmLoara  Table  Lands”  lie  mostly'  between 
those  already'  described  and  the  Mississippi  bottom  lands 


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114 


to  the  west,  and  includes  large  part  of  the  the  lands  along 
the  Illinois  Central  road.  The  soil  is  a brown  or  yellow- 
ish loam  which  is  often  from  six  to  eight  feet  deep,  and 
was  originally  covered  with  a dense  growth  of  hardwood 
timber.  Hilgard  says  “the  common  chemical  character- 
istics of  these  soils,  and  especially  of  the  subsoils,  are  the 
percentages  of  potash  and  lime,  with  usually  a large  sup- 
ply of  phosphoric  acid  in  the  subsoil,  at  least  of  the  heavier 
lands;  while  in  the  case  of  the  lighter  soils,  such  as  those 
of  the  Richland  neighborhood,  as  well  as  that  from  south- 
ern Hinds,  the  phosphates  are  rather  low,  even  deficient 
in  the  latter  case.’’  The  bottom  soils  in  this  region  are 
quite  variable,  their  character  seeming  to  depend  largely 
on  the  direction  of  the  streams.  Along  the  smaller  streams, 
and  those  flowing  to  the  north  or  south,  the  soil  is 
usually  light  and  often  sandy,  while  along  the  larger 
streams  and  those  flowing  to  the  west  and  southwest  it  is 
much  heavier.  Greensand  marls  are  of  frequent  occur- 
rence, and  the  whole  region,  covering  nearly  one-fourth 
of  the  State,  is  well  adapted  for  the  growing  of  all  kinds 
of  crops.  The  southwestern  extension  of  this  region, 
from  Holmes  to  Copiah  county;  includes  the  great 
fruit  distrtct  of  the  State,  and  with  a little  care  in  avoiding 
the  lands  which  are  obviously  so  washed  as  to  be  unfit  for 
cultivaton,  good  and  productive  farms  may  be  found  any- 
where in  the  region. 

Nearly  all  the  lands  so  far  mentioned  are  rich  in  lime, 
and  so  make  a rich  stock-growing  country,  and  in  regard 
to  this  matter  perhaps  nothing  stronger  can  be  said  than  is 
said  in  the  following  letter  from  Mr.  Albert  Montgomery, 
of  New  Orleans,  who  is  one  of  the  the  largest  stock  feeders 
and  dealers  iu  the  South.  Knowing  Mr.  Montgomery’s 
preference  for  cattle  from  this  part  of  the  State  he  was 
asked  how  and  why  they  were  better  than  those 
from  other  sections,  and  why  he  preferred  feeding  at  Me- 
ridian rather  than  at  otn<_r  points.  His  reply  was  as  fol- 
lows : 


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”5 


“I  regard  the  east  Mississippi  prairie  belt  as  the  best- 
cattle  country  south  of  Middle  Tennessee.  My  reason  for 
this  belief  is  that  it  is-so  rich  in  lime.  A lime  soil  is  the 
home  of  the  clovers,  and  it  imparts  to  all  other  grasses  a 
quality  that  produces  bone,  muscle  and  fat.  The  practical 
cattle  man  who,  like  myself,  has  had  opportunities  for  ob- 
servation, will  tell  you  that  there  is  a wide  difference  in 
the  cattle  produced  in  the  pine  woods  of  the  south  or  on 
the  sandy  lands  of  the  western  part  of  the  State  as  com- 
pared with  those  produced  on  its  eastern  prairie  or  lime 
lands.  The  prairie  cattle  grow  to  a larger  size,  take  on 
more  flesh,  and  in  proportion  to  their  stature  weigh 
heavier. 

I have  made  two  experiments  of  buying  in  Texas 
and  grazing  in  east  Mississippi,  and  the  results  of  both 
were  highly  satisfactory.  Of  all  the  grasses  for  this  sec- 
tion of  country  I prefer  those  two  vigorous  plants,  John- 
son grass  and  meli lotus,  both  of  which  have  stood  the 
test.  Alfalfa  promises  well,  but  I have  never  seen  it 
thoroughly  tried.” 

Among  the  letters  wThich  we  have  received  from  those 
who  have  come  from  other  states  and  settled  in  this  Yel- 
low Loam  region  are  the  following: 

Lott  Parker,  of  Lockhardt,  writes: 

“My  farm  is  located  in  Lauderdale  county,  Miss.  , two 
and  one-half  miles  east  of  Lockhardt  Station,  Mobile  and 
Ohio  railroad.  I have  been  here  four  years.  I came  here 
from  Birmingham,  Ala.  Before  locating  here  it  was  my 
privilege  to  see  a good  portion  of  the  Southern  States,  and 
after  carefully  weighing  the  advantages  and  disadvantages 
of  the  different  sections  of  country,  I came  to  the  conclu- 
sion that  this  was  the  best  country  I had  ever  seen,  and  I 
am  still  of  the  same  opinion. 

I have  about  ioo  acres  of  laud  in  a state  of  cultivation.  I 
have  434  acres  in  all.  Our  lands  are  not  so  productive  as  the 
prairies  in  the  northern  portion  of  the  State,  nor  the  allu- 
vial lands  on  the  Mississippi  River,  but  here  we  make  all 


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we  can  gather;  have  good  water,  good  health,  plenty  of 
fire-wood,  good  society,  churches  and  schools  in  close 
proximity;  fine  railroad  and  shipping  facilities  are  among 
the  reasons  why  I prefer  this  immediate  country  to  any 
that  I have  any  knowledge  of.  My  farm  is  situated  on  a 
small  creek,  nearly  all  level,  with  a light  mulatto  soil 
with  clay  subsoil;  some  of  it  has  been  in  cultivation  fifty 
years  and  still  produces  good  crops. 

We  raise  all  kinds  of  fruits  and  vegetables  in  abun- 
dance except  those  that  are  grown  only  in  the  tropics. 
I have  never  raised  any  fruits  or  vegetables  for  sale,  con- 
sequently I have  , no  idea  how  much  one  acre  would  pro- 
duce, but  some  of  my  neighbors  have  tried  it  on  a small 
scale,  and  from  what  I can  hear  from  them  it  seems  to  be 
very  profitable.  This  in  my  opinion  is  one  of  the  finest 
stock-raising  countries  in  the  world.  Most  all  of  the  farm- 
ers of  this  section  are  raising  their  own  hofses,  mules  and 
hogs,  and  a great  many  cattle.  Cattle  live  on  the  com- 
mons nine  months  in  the  year  and  are  then  turned  into  the 
fields  and  live  through  the  winter  on  grass,  cane  and  reed 
that  grows  spontaneously  upon  the  creeks  and  branches. 
Hogs  through  the  spring  and  summer  are  fed  enough  to 
keep  them  gentle,  they  get  fat  in  the  fall  upon  acorns, 
hickory  nuts  and  berch  mast;  they  are  then  turned  into 
the  fields  to  eat  the  peas  we  plant  in  our  corn  at  the  last 
plowing.  I have  nine  to  kill  that  have  scarcely  cost  me 
anything. 

A fortune  could  be  made  raising  sheep  if  we  had  a dog 
law;  the  people  are  becoming*very  much  interested  upon  the 
subject,  and  I think  the  next  legislation  will  give  us  a law 
that  will  supplant  the  dog  with  the  sheep  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  feed  them  at  all  by  letting  them  take  the  run  of  the 
fields  during  the  winter.  Cotton  seed  is  the  finest  feed  in 
the  world  for  sheep  and  can  be  bought  for  io  cents  per 
bushel,  but  the  live  progressive  farmers  keep  their  seed 
as  they  are  the  finest  fertilizer  in  the  world. 

We  raise  here  principally  corn,  cotton,  oats,  peas, 


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11 7 


sweet  potatoes,  sorghum,  sugar  cane,  and  all  kinds  of  veg 
etables  for  family  uses. 

I will  now  give  you  an  average  estimate  of  the  above 
named  crops  per  acre.  Corn  from  ten  to  fort}’  bushels  per 
acre,  some  exceptional  yields  from  seventy  to  ioo  per  acre 
where  the  land  is  highly  fertilized.  Cotton  from  500  to  1500 
pounds  seed  coton  per  acre.  Oats  from  ten  to  forty  bushels 
per  acre.  Sweet  potatoes  from  seventy-five  to  250  bushels 
per  acre.  Sugar  cane  300  to  500  gallons  per  acre.  Sorghum 
from  seventy-five  to  150  gallons  per  acre.  The  above  esti- 
mate is  the  yield  of  white  labor;  negroes  frequently  do  not 
make  anything. 

We  use  fertilizers  from  the  barnyards,  phosphate,  cot- 
ton seed  and  cotton  seed  meal,  when  we  use  any,  but  the 
majority  of  our  farmers  do  not  use  anju 

There  has  been  some  of  the  so-called  fine  grasses  planted 
here,  but  they  proved  to  be  far  inferior  to  the  native 
grasses.  W e have  the  carpet  grass  which  is  the  finest 
grass  I ever  saw  for  grazing  purposes.  The  crab  grass  is 
the  best  for  hay,  it  will  grow  three  feet  high  on  good  land. 
Last  year  I cut  6,000  pounds  on  three-fourths  of  an  acre 
where  I had  raised  thirty-five  bushels  of  corn  per  acre,  they 
both  come  up  in  the  spring  and  die  down  in  the  winter. 
Clover  grows  all  over  creation.  We  plow  from  two  to  four 
inches  deep,  use  single  plows  and  rarely  break  the  same 
land  twice  before  planting.  We  do  not  use  machinery  or 
harrows,  as  the  land  pulverizes  nicety  with  the  plow. 

We  have  a splendid  syrstem  of  free  schools.  The 
school-houses  are  located  by  law,  two  to  the  township,  or 
one  for  every  three  miles  square;  so  a man  cannot  possibly 
live  over  one  and  one-half  miles  from  a free  school.  Teach- 
ers have  to  stand  a rigid  examination  before  they  are  al- 
lowed to  teach.  There  is  one  high  school  within  three 
and  one-half  miles  of  where  I live.  Another  is  twelve 
miles,  and  three  others  in  the  city  of  Meridian.  Meridian, 
where  we  market  our  produce,  has  a population  of  15,000. 

Churches  are  in  close  proximity  consisting  principally 


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of  Baptist . Methodist  and  Presbyterian.  There  are  Catho- 
lics,  Episcopalians  and  others  in  our  towns.  Our  politics 
are  principally  Populists  and  Democrats,  with  a sprinkling 
of  Republicans. 

Our  country  is  well  watered  having  streams  of  water 
running  in  every  direction.  The  rain  fall  is  from  30  to  65 
inches  per  year. 

Our  climate  is  pleasant.  Average  temperature  in  the 
heat  of  summer  80  degrees;  in  the  winter  45  degrees.  By 
consulting  statistics  you  will  see  that  our  summers  are  not 
so  oppressive  as  they  are  in  New  York  State.  A case  of  sun- 
stroke is  of  rare  occurrence.  I never  saw  a case  of  it  in 
my  life.  It  rarely  ever  snows  here.  We  can  work  in  the 
fields  twelve  months  in  the  year,  but  do  not  work  more 
than  six.  People  can  live  here  cheaper  than  anywhere 
I know  of.  When  we  try,  we  have  vegetables  twelve 
months  in  the  year;  turnips,  collards,  mustard  and  cab- 
bage in  the  winter,  and  a second  crop  of  Irish  potatoes  in 
the  fall. 

Unimproved  lauds  can  be  bought  here  from  $2.50  to 
$3  per  acre;  improved  lands  from  $3  to  $10  per  acre.  Our 
taxation  including  State  and  county,  is  /11  per  $1,000. 
Should  any  one  wish  to  know  more  of  this  section  I will 
take  pleasure  in  answering  his  communication.” 

J.  T.  Downs,  of  Flora,  Madison  county,  says: 

‘‘We  came  from  Marshall,  Mich.,  here  a little  over 
three  years  ago.  We  came  because  we  wanted  to  try  a 
milder  climate.  I like  the  climate  very  much.  We  also 
like  the  people.  The  white  people  are  an  intelligent,  cul- 
tured. kinder  people  in  this  vicinity.  We  did  not  intend 
to  make  cotton  raising  our  principal  business,  hence  have 
run  largely  to  stock.  Raise  corn,  oats,  rye,  barley,  peas, 
all  kind  of  vegetables,  and  cut  a large  amount  of  hay. 
Have  had  very  good  success  with  the  northern  red  clover. 
Cattle  take  care  of  themselves  the  year  around  without  be- 
ing fed  at  all.  This  seems  to  be  a good  fruit  country.  We  set 
out  one-year-old  peach  trees  three  years  ago  last  spring  and 


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119 

this  jrear  had  an  abundance  of  peaches  from  the  last  week 
in  Ma}r  to  the  middle  of  October  Hand  is  slowly  advanc- 
ing and  is  worth  from  $5  to  $15 -an  acre.  Very  good  places 
can  be  bought  for  $10.  I cannot  sajr  much  about  this  coun- 
try and  what  I think  of  it  without  making  my  letter  too 
long.  I think  the  possibilities  are  great,  and  I believe  it 
has  a grand  future  before  it,  and  I would  like  very  much 
to  have  some  of  the  good  enterprising  northern  people  set- 
tle here.  It  would  certainly  hurry  up  the  grand  future  I 
speak  of.  The  price  I spoke  of  for  land  means  improved 
farms,  with  buildings,  etc.  Unimproved  land  can  be 
bought  for  less.  Land  must  advance  in  this  country.  The 
days  are  perfect  here,  warm,  still,  soft  and  pleasant;  I 
might  saj1-,  a fascinating  atmosphere.” 

W.  J.  Foster,  of  Terry,  in  Hinds  county,  sa3rs: 

‘‘I  came  here  from  Alta,  Buena  Vista  county,  Iowa, 
October  27,  1886 — about  seven  3?ears  ago.  I left  Iowa  on 
account  of  m3’-  health.  I would  break  down  at  times  and 
have  a spell  of  sickness,  generally  rheumatism.  Since 
coming  here  I have  gained  in  health  and  strength  eve^ 
3Tear,  and  now  at  the  age  of  57  I feel  like  a boy.  We 
can  grow  almost  everything  that  3'ou  can  in  the  North. 
Even  wheat  can  be  grown  here.  Oats,  corn,  rice,  Irish 
potatoes,  sweet  botatoes,  beans,  peas,  cow  peas,  cabbage, 
turnips,  tomatoes,  and  eve^thing  in  the  vegetable  line. 
Cabbage,  turnips,  spinach,  etc. , grow  all  winter.  Cotton 
is  the  staple  among  the  native  farmers.  Fruit  grows  in 
great  abundance.  Strawberries  come  in  about  April  1 and 
last  until  June  1.  Plums  ripen  in  May.  Blackberries  are 
abundant.  Grapes  ripen  about  July  10.  Uouisiana  sugar 
cane  does  well,  and  sorghum  grows  finehc  Peanuts  do 
well.  This  is  a good  country  to  raise  stock.  Ther"  can 
grow  and  become  old  without  winter  feeding,  but  do  much 
better  if  they  have  a little  ha3_  and  dry  shelter  during  the 
winter  rains.  Stock  is  getting  to  pa3r,  too.  Some  of  the 
live  merchants  are  bu3ring  them  in  large  numbers  and  fat- 
tening them  on  cotton  seed  meal  and  cotton  seed 


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hulls.  One  firm  has  from  300  to  500  feeding 
now.  Cattle  get  very  fat  on  grass,  if  the  pastures  are  not 
over-stocked.  Horses  can  be  raised  very  cheaply.  Hogs 
often  grow  up  in  the  woods  and  get  fat  on  the  mast.  They 
are  often  brought  to  town  and  sold  for  meat  without  any 
feeding.  This  is  a great  country  for  flowers.  At  this  date 
our  front  yard  just  sparkles  with  roses  of  all  colors,  cape 
jessamines,  tube  roses,  morning  glories,  verbenas,  zenias, 
dahlias,  etc.,  etc. 

The  more  I see  of  this  country  the  better  I like  it.  It 
is  such  a comfortable  country  to  live  in.  Even  in  July 
and  August  there  are  so  many  cool,  cloudy  afternoons. 
The  nights  are  almost  cool.  Some  winters  we  do  not  see 
any  snow.  The  winters  do  not  deserve  the  name  of  winter; 
it  is  only  a little  fall  weather.  We  like  the  people.  We 
were  never  treated  more  kindly. 

Terry  is  a lively  town.  There  is  a very  large  amount 
of  business  done  here.  A new  iron  bridge  spans  the  Pearl 
river,  which  brings  the  business  of  the  counties  east  of  us 
to  Terry,  which  formerly  went  to  Jackson  (the  State  capi- 
tal), sixteen  miles  north  of  us.  Terry  has  the  name  of  be- 
ing the  liveliest  town  on  the  Illinois  Central.  I think 
Terry  and  the  surrounding  country  offer  greater  induce- 
ments than  any  part  of  the  South  that  I am  acquainted 
with.  Farming  lands  are  from  $3  to  $12  per  acre.  There 
is  plenty  of  land  for  sale,  and  it  can  be  bought  in  large 
tracts  so  as  to  form  neighborhoods,  if  so  desired. 

Terry  ships  from  4,000  to  7,000  bales  of  cotton  a year. 
During  the  fruit  and  vegetable  season  there  is  from  1,500 
to  2,000  cases  shipped  each  dajr  for  about  sixty  days. 

We  have  a good  graded  school  nine  months  of  the 
year.  We  have  six  churches;  three  belong  to  the  colored 
people.  The  country  has  improved  wonderfully  in  some 
respects  in  the  last  seven  years,  but  we  need  more  farm- 
ers. Farmers  can  raise  nearly  everything  they  need,  and 
what  they  need  to  buy  is  very  cheap.  Fuel  costs  next  to 
nothing.  To  those  who  are  coming  to  see  a home  I would 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


I 2 1 


say,  take  plenty  of  time.  It  will  pay  you.  It  is  a big 
country  and  so  diversified.  There  are  large  tracts  of  heav- 
ily timbered  land  that  can  be  bought  very  cheaply.  Come 
and  see.” 

This  is  the  testimony  of  many  others  whom  space 
forbids  to  quote. 

The  development  of  the  fruit  and  vegetable  industries  in 
the  State  cannot  be  better  illustrated  than  by  giving  a brief 
history  of  its  growth  at  Crystal  Springs,  which  is  a hand- 
somely located  town,  but  to  all  appearances  has  no  better 
country  surounding  it  than  other  points,  and  that  it  should 
have  made  greater  progress  in  the  line  of  fruit  and  vegeta- 
ble growing  than  any  of  its  neighbors,  is  due  not  so  much 
to  a better  quality  of  soil  as  to  the  push  and  enterprise  of 
the  men  engaged  in  that  particular  industry,  and  what  has 
been  done  at  Crystal  Springs  may  be  done  at  many  other 
points  as  well.  It  will  be  noticed,  however,  that  the  citi- 
zens of  Crystal  Springs  made  a specialty  of  this  industry 
and  not  only  exercised  care  in  the  growing  of  crops,  but 
wisely  looked  after  the  marketing  at  points  where  they 
were  sure  of  quick  sales  and  good  returns. 

In  1865  their  was  only  300  inhabitants  at  Crystal 
Springs.  Cotton  was  the  only  product  grown  for  market, 
but  the  wonderful  adaptability  of  climate  and  soil  to  the 
growth  of  a variety  of  the  best  fruits  wTas  soon  discovered, 
and  every  family  had  a few  fruit  trees,  raising  a limited 
quantity  for  home  use.  In  1865,  Maj.  .Sturgis,  having  a 
larger  orchard  of  peach,  pear,  plum  and  apple  trees  than 
others,  ventured  to  ship  some  of  its  product  to  New  Orleans, 
La. , by  express;  and,  meeting  with  success,  continued 
shipping  to  that  point.  This  was  probably  the  first  fruit 
ever  shipped  to  market  from  this  section  of  the  country.  The 
following  year  several  fruit  dealers  came  from  New  Or- 
leans seeking  larger  supplies  of  peaches  and  other  fruit; 
and,  as  they  offered  attractive  prices,  others  brought  fruit 
to  town  for  sale  or  shipment.  Large  orchards  were 
planted  in  the  immediate  vicinity,  and  more  attention 


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paid  to  their  cultivation.  Thus  began  the  marketing  of 
fruit  from  this  State  as  well  as  town.  The  business  grew 
steadily,  but  slowly,  other  little  towns  in  this  section  also 
falling  into  line,  to  some  extent.  In  1873  Dr.  Stackhouse, 
seeking  a wider  field  for  the  sale  of  his  fruit,  the  produc- 
tion having  grown  to  such  an  extent  that  the  New  Orleans 
market  could  not  use  all  at  satisfactory  prices,  expressed  a 
few  boxes  of. peaches  to  Chicago.  Two  days  later  a tele- 
gram announced  its  arrival  in  good  order  and  sale  at  fancy 
prices.  Then  followed  daily  shipments  to  Chicago,  where 
the  fruit  brought  very  high  prices,  there  being  no  other 
peaches  or  plums  on  that  market  so  early  in  the  season. 
The  great  success  attending  these  shipments  resulted  in 
a very  largely  increased  acreage,  so  that  as  early  as  1875 
the  shipment  of  peaches  amounted  to  sevaral  cars  daily,  all 
going  by  express,  to  Chicago,  Cincinnati,  St.  Douis  and 
New  Orleans,  and  by  1878  the  movement  had  grown  to 
large  proportions. 

About  1874,  W.  J.  Stackhhouse  shipped  the  first 
strawberries  to  market.  The  success  attending  the  ship- 
ment of  peaches  and  strawberries  having  given  Crystal 
Springs  quite  a reputation,  J.  C.  Brown  and  his  son-in-law, 
John  W.  Day,  of  Anna,  111.,  in  1877  moved  their  families 
here,  bringing  with  them  a quantity  of  strawberry  plants, 
and  the  following  year,  1878,  the  first  strawberries  were 
shipped  from  this  State  to  northern  markets.  These  sold 
at  phenominal  prices,  being  far  in  advance  of  the  sup- 
plies received  from  other  sections.  The  acreage  in  straw- 
berries increased  rapidly,  and  ten  years  after  the  first  ship- 
ments the  volume  had  grown  to  as  many  as  seven  cars 
daily,  shipments  going  to  as  distant  markets  as  New  York 
and  Philadelphia. 

About  1875,  N.  Piazza  &Bro.,  and  S.  H.  Stackhouse, 
both  large  growers  of  peaches  and  other  fruit,  planted  to- 
mato seed  in  hot  beds,  and  b}^  very  careful  attention,  pro- 
duced an  early  crop,  of  fine  quality,  shipping  them  by  ex- 
press to  Chicago,  where  they  sold  at  what  would  now  be 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


123 


regarded  as  fabulous  prices. 

In  1877,  F.  M.  Brewer  grew  a small  quantity  of  peas 
and  beans  for  shipment  to  Chicago,  and  meeting  with  suc- 
cess, he,  and  a few  others,  planted  a larger  acreage  in 
these  vegetables  the  following  year. 

About  1880,  the  Illinois  Central  railroad  began  to 
handle  vegetables  in  ventilated  fruit  cars,  on  fast  trains, 
affording  cheaper  transportation  for  tomatoes,  peas,  beaus, 
etc.,  and  this  stimulated  the  industry,  so  that  each 
3?ear  the  movement  of  these  articles  increased,  all  going  to 
Chicago.  In  1883,  the  firm  of  Lotterhos  & Huber,  doing 
a small  merchandising  business  and  soliciting  consign- 
ments of  fruits  and  vegetables  for  certain  commission  firms 
in  Chicago,  made  the  first  move  towards  the  better  distri- 
bution of  tomatoes  by  shipping  part  of  the  crop  to  St. 
Fouis,  and  meeting  very  satisfactory  results,  in  1886,  they 
sought  a market  in  far  distant  Denver,  (Colorado)  and  two 
years  later,  ventured  to  Philadelphia  and  several  other 
“new”  markets  with  a few  cars,  where  they  brought  high 
prices  on  account  of  their  superior  quality. 

Bach  succeeding  year  since  1865  has  shown  increased 
shipments  and  an  extension  of  the  business  in  every  direc- 
tion, and  now,  although  Crystal  Springs  still  ships  more 
than  does  any  other  point,  many  of  her  neighboring  towns 
on  the  Illinois  Central  railroad  are  lively  competitors  for 
the  supremacy,  and  the  northeastern  prairie  region,  where 
the  business  has  been  developed  almost  wholly  in  the  last 
ten  years,  promises  to  become  a formidable  rival. 

W.  F.  Shaffner,  of  Water  Valley,  says:  “Our  princi- 

pal crops  are  corn,  cotton,  vegetables  and  fruits.  Fruits 
of  all  kinds  do  well. 

Where  any  attention  is  paid  to  stock  raising  in  this 
section  it  is  always  successful.  The  Valle}^  Stock  Farm, 
one  mile  south  of  the  city,  operated  by  a syndicate,  has 
proved  a success  and  is  well  stocked  with  high  grade 
horses,  trotting  and  pacing.  The  country  is  well  stocked 
with  high  grade  cattle,  and  the  grazing  facilities  are  such 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


that  stock  onljr  have  to  be  fed  three  months  in  the  year. 
The  average  price  of  land  is  from  $5  to  $10  per  acre,  and  is 
sold  on  easy  terms,  within  reach  ot  the  poorest. 

The  school  facilities  of  this  place  cannot  be  surpassed 
— ten  months  school  free  each  year,  650  pupils  enrolled  at 
present.  The  University  of  Mississippi,  at  Oxford,  eigh- 
teen miles  north,  is  unsurpassed  by  any  school  in  the 
South.  There  i«  situated  at  Water  Valley  the  Yocana 
Cotton  Mills,  employing  300  hands;  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  Machine  and  Car  Shops,  employing  250  skilled 
hands;  the  Water  Valley  Canning  and  Manufacturing 
Company,  a new  and  prosperous  industry,  employing  100 
hands  and  taking  up  all  the  surplus  vegetable  crop.  This 
will  make  truck  farming  very  profitable  in  the  future.  No 
business  failures  have  occurred  at  this  place  for  several 
years.  This  being  the  relay  point  for  all  trains  gives  facil- 
ities for  the  quick  handling  of  vegetables  and  fruits  enjoyed 
by  few  places  within  the  State,  places  it  within  quick  reach 
of  Chicago,  St.  Uouis  and  all  the  principal  produce  con- 
suming centers.  The  large  force  of  factory  and  railroad 
employes  being  a class  of  regularly  and  well  paid  con- 
sumers made  this  city  prosperous  regardless  of  the  condi- 
tion of  crops.  While  there  are  a great  many  of  our  citi- 
zens who  were  engaged  in  “the  late  unpleasantness,”  they 
enjoy  such  excellent  health  that  all  recollection  of  the  war 
has  been  forgotten.  Northern  men  will  find  a wrarm  and 
hearty  welcome  and  learn  that  the  hospitality  for  which 
Mississippt  is  noted  is  a living  reality.” 

J.  W.  Copeland,  who  has  lived  near  Water  Valley  for 
twenty  3'ears,  says: 

“We  grow  cotton,  corn,  oats,  wheat,  and  all  the 
grasses.  Clover  does  well  with  us.  The  field  pea  and 
the  common  crab  grass  make  our  most  profitable  hay  crops. 
Potatoes,  both  Irish  and  sweet,  are  very  profitable  crops. 
Vegetables  of  all  kinds  do  well  here;  also  sorghum  and 
ribbon  cane  to  a limited  extent. 

I like  the  country  well,  in  fact  I think  it  one  of  the 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


*25 


best  sections  of  country  to  move  to  at  present,  all  tilings 
considered.  It  is  healthy  and  well  watered;  generally 
mild  winters;  stock  easily  raised  and  wintered.  Society 
is  good;  city  and  railroad  facilities  for  marketing  crops  and 
vegetables.  I like  the  people  well.  Have  good  schools 
and  churches.  I reside  two  miles  southwest  of  town.  We 
have  fine  graded  schools  there. 

hands  range  from  $5  to  $15  per  acre,  owing  to  loca- 
tion, improvements  and  quality.  As  a farmer  and  tiller  of 
the  soil,  I know  this  country  to  be  a good  one  for  farmers, 
and  I think  that  small  farmers  and  truck  gardeners  would 
find  this  a good  country  for  them;  and  as  a farmer  and 
speaking  for  this  people  and  the  farmers,  we  most  cordially 
invite  them  to  come  and  settle  among  us,  and  can  assure 
them  that  they  will  be  kindly  and  cordially  received  and 
fully  appreciated  by  us  all.” 

J.  S.  Foster,  of  Sessumsville,  writes: 

‘‘We  are  from  North  Central  Kansas,  and  have  been 
here  about  two  years.  We  think  the  climate  healthy,  and 
find  it  agreeable,  excepting  for  the  continuous  rains  which 
are  very  disagreeable.  We  find  the  winters  colder  than 
we  expected;  clothing  and  provisions  are  higher  here  than 
in  the  North,  but  fuel  is,  of  course,  cheaper  than  in  a 
prairie  country.  I find  that  stock  need  shelter  here  as  well 
as  in  the  North,  as  the  cold  winter  rains  are  very  hard  on 
unsheltered  stock.  The  winters  being  shorter,  much  less 
feed  is  needed,  and  stock  can  and  do  live  through  the  win- 
ter on  the  cane  brakes,  with  nothing  else  for  food.  The 
falls  being  dry,  and  the  winters  wet,  we  find  it  hard  to  get 
fall  and  winter  plowing  done.  Cotton  and  corn  are  the 
only  crops  we  have  tried,  and  the  corn  averaged  forty-five 
bushels  per  acre.  Grasses  and  stock  must  take  the  place 
of  cotton.  We  pay  40  to  50  cents  per  day  for  labor,  and  it 
compares  favorably  with  northern  labor  costing  a dollar  a 
day.  We  are  a mile  and  a quarter  from  a school  where 
we  have  a splendid  teacher.” 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


THE  MISSISSIPPI  BOTTOM,  OR  YAZOO  DEBT  A 

REGION. 

This  region  lies  along  the  Mississipp  river  from  Vicks- 
burg northward  to  Memphis,  and  is  about  seveuty  miles 
across  in  its  widest  part.  It  includes  about  one-sixth  the 
area  of  the  State,  and  nowhere  else  in  the  world  can  be 
found  an  equal  area  where  the  soil  is  as  fertile  and  pro- 
ductive as  here.  The  soil  is  wholly  alluvial,  having  been 
deposited  by  the  overflows  of  the  Mississippi  river  during 
the  ages  past,  and  now  that  the  river  has  been  controlled 
by  levees  so  as  to  prevent  future  overflows,  nearly  the  en- 
tire region  has  become  available  for  settlement  and  culti- 
vation. The  whole  area  is  intersected  by  numerous  bay- 
ous and  rivers,  many  of  them  navigable;  railroads  belong- 
ing to  the  Yazoo  Valley  and  the  Georgia  Pacific  systems 
are  forming  a network  over  its  surface,  and  immigration  is 
already  filling  the  country  at  a rapid  rate. 

The  timber  growth  consists  largely  of  poplar,  white 
and  chestnut  oaks,  beech,  sycamore,  maple,  cypress,  etc., 
and  in  many  districts  the  natural  forests  are  practically 
untouched.  There  is  probably  not  another  equal  area  in 
the  United  States  where  an  equal  amount  of  valuable  hard- 
wood timber  can  be  found.  With  such  facilities  for  trans- 
portation, with  such  an  unlimited  supply  of  raw  materials, 
and  with  a constantly  increasing  demand  for  their  pro- 
ducts, the  Delta  is  an  ideal  location  for  manufacturers  of 
agricultural  machinery,  furniture,  and  wood  work  of  every 
kind. 

The  Delta  produces  more  cotton  than  does  any  other 
one  district  in  the  world,  though  less  than  one-fifth  its 
area  is  given  to  that  crop.  When  cotton  was  worth  io 
cents  per  pound  the  New  England  manufacturer  paid  only 
about  io  per  cent,  of  its  cost  for  freight.  At  present  prices, 
however,  the  freight  is  nearly  25  per  cent,  of  its  cost. 
Factories  can  be  built  and  operated  here  as  cheaply  as  in 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


127 


New  England,  and  the  saving  on  freight  alone  would  give 
a larger  margin  of  profit  than  the  mills  are  now  receiving. 
Coal  can  be  delivered  at  Vicksburg,  Greenville,  Green- 
wood and  other  Delta  towns  as  cheaply  as  at  points  in  New 
England,  cotton  can  be  delivered  at  the  mills  without  the 
expense  of  compressing  or  freighting,  and  the  Delta  is  des- 
tined to  become  a great  manufacturing  center. 

The  delta  soils  will  produce  not  only  cotton,  but  corn, 
sugar  cane,  potatoes,  hemp,  and  nearly  every  crop  which 
can  be  grown  anywhere  in  the  United  States.  The  soils 
are  of  two  kinds,  the  “loam”  and  the  “buckshot,”  the 
latter  being  a black  clay  loam  peculiar  to  this  region. 
Each  is  of  unequalled  richness  and  can  be  worked  at  al- 
most any  time.  The  soil  is  of  such  a depth  that  the  deep- 
est tillage,  even  that  of  the  steam  plow,  would  not  reach 
through  the  top,  and  its  highly  absorptive  power  insures 
the  crop  from  injury  from  drouth.  The  natural  drainage 
of  these  lands  is  perfect.  The  rich  soil  and  easy  drainage 
make  this  section  especially  adapted  to  raising  vegetables 
and  the  making  of  truck  farms.  Every  known  yariety  of 
vegetables  can  be  grown,  and  not  only  one  but  two  crops 
can  be  made  each  year. 

Stock  growing  is  attracting  more  and  more  attention, 
and  packing-houses  are  among  the  urgent  needs  of  Green- 
ville and  Vicksburg.  Lands  in  desirable  locations  can 
still  be  had  at  reasonable  prices,  but  there  has  been  a 
marked  change  in  their  valuation  during  the  last  year, 
and  the  present  indications  are  that  nearly  all  this  fertile 
region  will  be  brought  into  cultivation  within  the  next  five 
years, 

T.  P.  Walt,  of  Shaw,  Bolivar  county,  says: 

“Since  1890  we  think  our  town  and  vicinity  has  done 
some  wonderful  climbing.  Only  a few  years  ago  it  was  a 
cane-brake,  now  it  has  many  substantial  buildings, 
churches  and  good  schools  all  around  us.  Our  principal 
crop,  of  course,  is  cotton,  which  makes  one  bale  to  the 
acre.  Seventy-five  and  eighty  bushels  of  corn  have  been 


128 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


grown  to  the  acre.  Fruits  do  very  fine  here  and  a good 
many  are  turning  their  attention  to  their  culture.  All 
kinds  of  timber  are  fouud  here.  We  have  not  many 
northern  farmers  among  us,  but  can  say,  let  them  come; 
they  are  thrice  welcome  and  I am  sure  they  will  receive  the 
very  best  care  and  attention.  We  want  immigration  badly. 
Lands  are  cheap  and  soil  not  to  be  excelled.  People  who 
will  work  can  certainly  do  better  here  than  in  any  new 
country  that  I know  of.  Stock  do  well  here,  as  shelter  and 
food  can  be  dispensed  with  twelve  months,  our  winters  are 
so  mild.  There  are  several  partly  improved  places  near 
here  that  can  be  bought  now  cheap.” 

J.  T.  McGuire,  of  Yazoo  City,  says: 

‘‘This  city  has  a population  of  near  4,000,  and  the 
county  39,000.  The  health  of  the  city  and  county  is  as 
good  as  any  other  in  the  State,  the  death  rate  in  Yazoo 
City  not  exceeding  12  per  1,000  of  population  annually. 
The  school  and  church  facilities  are  unexcelled  by  any 
city  of  like  size  in  the  country.  The  public  school  is  open 
nine  months  in  the  }rear,  tuition  being  free  to  all  children 
between  the  ages  of  5 and  18  years.  The  building  was 
erected  at  a cost  of  $20,000;  $5,000  additional  being  paid 
for  heating  aparatus  and  furniture.  Six  hundred  children 
can  be  comfortably  housed  and  taught  in  the  building. 

The  churches  are  Methodist,  Presbyterian,  Catholic, 
Baptist  and  Episcopal,  each  denomination  having  neat  and 
comfortable  houses  of  worship. 

The  city  is  lighted  by  electricity,  has  four  and  a half 
miles  of  sewers  and  water  mains,  and  five  miles  of  grav- 
eled streets  and  drive-ways. 

The  city  is  compactly  built  and  the  citizens  are  enter- 
prising, pushing,  progressive  people.  The  trade  annually 
of  cotton  is  from  $2,000,000  to  $2,500,000,  and  of  general 
merchandise  about  the  same. 

Yazoo  county  is  about  the  center  of.  the  rich  and  allu- 
vial Yazoo  Delta.  About  half  of  the  country  is  of  rolling 
lands,  susceptible  of  all  kinds  of  farming,  stock  and  cattle 


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129 


raising;  the  other  lands  are  in  the  Delta,  and  produce 
abundantly  crops  of  corn,  cotton  and  grasses.  Both  the 
Delta  and  the  hill  portions  of  the  county  are  well  supplied 
with  timber  of  many  varieties;  oak,  hickory,  ash,  poplar 
and  gum  predominating  in  the  hills,  and  cypress  and  other 
soft  woods  in  the  Delta.  Streams  furnishing  water  the 
year  round  for  pastures  and  stock  are  abundant,  and  stock 
can  be  grazed  all  the  year  without  the  cost  of  housing  and 
feeding.  Cattle  and  stock  of  all  kinds  do  -well  and  grow 
rapidly.  Mules  and  horses  can  be  raised  cheSply , and  de- 
velop fully  in  size  and  muscular  qualities.  Cattle  are 
raised  without  any  pactical  cost.  Open  lands  range 
from  $5  to  $50  per  acre,  according  to  location;  wood  lands, 
from  $1.50  to  $10. 

In  the  county  there  are  fifty-four  white  free  schools, 
open  five  months  in  the  year.  The  country  school-houses 
are  all  comfortably  built,  and  so  located  as  to  be  within 
close  range  to  all  children.  Scholars  are  admitted  from  5 
to  18  years  of  age. 

Singular  as  it  may  appear,  many  physicians  claim  that 
the  climate  of  the  Delta  is  one  of  the  best  for  those  who  are 
affected  with  consumption,  pneumonia  and  other  lung 
troubles,  and  that  for  such  diseases  it  is  superior  even  to 
the  climate  of  Colorado,  Florida  or  San  Antonio. 

THE  CANE  HIDES  REGION. 

On  the  eastern  side  of  the  Yazoo  Delta,  and  extending 
from  Vicksburg  to  the  borders  of  Louisiana  is  a strip  of 
country  from  five  to  fifteen  miles  wide  known  as  the 
“cane  hills,’’  from  the  fact  that  they  were  originally  cov- 
ered with  a dense  growth  of  cane,  which  afforded  the  rich- 
est and  best  of  winter  pastures.  The  soil  in  this  region  is 
essentially  the  same  as  that  of  the  “loess’’  or  bluff  forma- 
tion so  common  along  the  upper  Mississippi  and  the  lower 
Missouri  rivers,  and  which  is  everywhere  noted  for  its  fer- 
tility It  is  so  rich  in  lime  and  potash  that  it  is  often 
spoken  of  as  a marl,  and  being  so  porous  that  roots  can 


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penetrate  very  deep,  it  never  suffers  from  drouth.  It  does 
not  wash,  it  is  easily  worked  and  is  very  durable.  It  is 
one  of  the  best  clover,  hay,  and  stock  regions  in  the  State. 
Occasionally  places  are  found  where  the  hills  are  so  high 
and  steep  as  to  interfere  with  cultivation,  but  this  is  sel- 
dom the  case  and  nearly  the  entire  region  is  susceptible  of 
the  highest  cultivation. 

LONG-LEAF  PINE  REGION. 

The  pine  region  is  in  the  southern  part  of  the  State, 
and  covers  about  one-third  of  its  entire  area,  embracing  all 
the  country  south  of  the  central  prairie  region  excepting  a 
small  portion  in  the  extreme  southwest.  The  soil  is  of  a 
very  uniform  character,  being  a light,  easily  worked  sandy 
loam;  the  better  soils  being  in  the  western  part  of  the  re- 
gion , while  those  toward  the  southeast  are  generally  more 
sandy  and  less  durable.  The  northern  and  western  part  of 
this  region,  known  as  the  “long-leaf  pine  hills'’  has  a for- 
est growth  composed  of  both  the  long  and  the  short-leaf 
pine  among  which  oaks  and  hickories  are  often  found  quite 
abundantly.  The  long-leaf  pine  is  found  mostly  on  the 
poorer  soils,  and  an  exclusive  growth  of  that  species  is  a 
strong  indication  that  the  soil  is  light  and  sandy,  and  less 
valuable  for  cultivation  than  is  that  where  the  short-leaf 
pine  predominates.  Hilgard  says:  “Broadly  speaking, 
the  soils  of  the  country  lying  east  of  Pearl  river  are  more 
sandy  than  those  to  the  westward,  where,  as  we  advance  to 
the  Mississippi,  the  retentive  subsoil  comes  nearer  the  sur- 
face, and  thus  gives  rise  to  soils  which,  if  not  naturally 
thrifty,  are  at  least  susceptible  of  ready  and  permanent  im- 
p rovement,  having  a good  foundation  of  loam  subsoil  of 
considerable  depth.  At  the  same  time  the  bottom  soils  are 
correspondingly  stronger.  Such  is  the  case  in  Copiah, 
Lincoln,  Pike  and  adjacent  counties,  while  from  Jones 
and  Marion  counties,  east  and  southward  the  soils  of  both 
uplands  and  lowlands  become,  in  general,  lighter  and  less 
retentive.  ’ ’ 


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131 


The  whole  country  is  admirably  adapted  to  dairying, 
both  for  the  local  and  New  Orleans  markets,  as  it  has  the 
best  of  pastures  during  the  entire  year. 

Among  those  who  have  tried  this  region  for  them- 
selves are  Mr.  W.  J.  Parker  of  Orange  Grove,  Jackson 
county,  who  says: 

“Seedling  peach  trees  give  fine  crops;  grapes  do  well 
and  bring  more  money  than  those  grown  elsewhere,  as  ours 
are  ripe  and  marketed  before  the  crops  north  of  us.  Pears 
are  the  fruit  of  this  country — free  from  all  diseases  and 
bear  abundantly.  I sold  my  crop  of  Leconte  pears  this 
year  at  $1.40  per  bushel,  twentjr  to  twenty-three  pears 
filling  a peck  measure,  and  now  I am  selling  my 
Kieffer  pear  crop  at  $1.50  per  bushel;  a larger  pear  than 
the  former,  eighteen  pears  to  the  peck.  These  two  va- 
rieties give  invariably  a sure  crop.  The  Japanese  plum 
and  persimmon  both  do  well.  The  pecan  tree  is  a good 
grower  and  a certain  bearer.  Figs  are  very  profitable;  the 
canning  factories  at  Biloxi  paying  three  to  four  cents  a 
pound  for  figs  delivered  at  the  depots  along  the  railroads. 
From  sixteen  to  twenty  figs  make  a pound.  One  tree  at 
Moss  Point  produced  $50  worth  of  figs  in  a single  season. 
The  Scuppernong  grape  is  a good  grower  and  gives  large 
crops  annually,  and  no  one  feels  that  his  farm  is  complete 
without  a Scuppernong  arbor. 

SOUTHWEST  MISSISSIPPI. 

Dr.  J.  C.  Roberts,  of  Centerville,  who  has  lived  in 
that  region  for  twenty  years  and  who  knows  the  country 
thoroughly,  sends  us  the  following  description  of  that  part 
of  the  State : 

That  portion  of  the  State  known  as  “Southwest  Mis- 
sissippi” consists  of  Wilkinson,  Amite,  Franklin,  Adams 
and  Jefferson  counties,  and  is  watered  throughout  by  nu- 
merous small  streams  rising  from  perennial  springs. 

The  bottom  lands  along  the  Mississippi  river  wfiil 


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hardly  average  more  than  three  or  four  miles  wide,  and 
the  reader  may  at  once  dispose  his  mind  of  the  idea,  so 
prevalent,  that  we  live  in  a country  subject  to  overflow  and 
consequent  ill  health  from  malaria.  Just  east  from  this 
alluvial  bottom  is  found  a wide  stretch  of  very  rich  hill 
lands  twelve  to  fifteen  miles  in  width  parallel  with  the 
Mississippi  river.  It  is  exceedingly  rich  in  those  elements 
necessary  to  most  successful  farming,  especially  the  pro- 
duction of  leguminous  plants;  white  clover  is  indigenous, 
and  cow  peas  yield  enormously.  The  soil  is  so  strongly 
marked  with  lime  that  man}'-  consider  the  water  of  this 
bluff  formation  unfit  for  drinking,  and  make  use  of  under- 
ground cisterns.  This  is  one  of  the  finest  stock-raising 
sections  of  the  United  States,  cattle  and  horses  keeping 
fat  all  winter  on  the  switch  cane  that  grows  rampant  over 
the  hill  sides.  This  cane,  followed  by  white  clover,  Ber- 
muda grass  and  Japan  clover  makes  an  all-the-year-round 
natural  pasture  unexcelled  by  any  we  know. 

The  crops  of  this  section  are  corn,  cotton,  sweet  and 
Irish  potatoes,  oats,  sugar  cane,  sorghum,  cow  peas,  rice, 
etc.  A great  variety  of  fruits,  apples,  peaches,  pears, 
plums,  figs,  grapes,  strawberries  and  others,  do  well.  Ev- 
ery ordinary  variety  of  vegetableg  and  truck  may  readily 
be  raised  in  rich  profusion. 

One  peculiar  feature  of  this  section  is  the  existence  of 
many  large  plantations  of  from  1,000  to  2,000  acres  or 
more,  whose  owners  realize  the  fact  that  new  people  with 
new  enegies  are  needed  to  help  develop  one  of  the  best 
countries  in  the  world.  As  a result  of  this  a colony  of 
Sweedes,  mostly  from  Illinois,  has  been  located  at  Center- 
ville during  the  past  year. 

The  Yazoo  and  Mississippi  Valley  road  traverses  this 
region,  with  its  main  line,  besides  two  branches,  one  to 
Woodville,  and  one  from  Jackson  to  Natchez,  crossing  the 
main  line  at  Harriston. 

In  finis,  we  say  there  is  no  country  that  offers  bet- 
ter inducements  to  good,  industrious  people  of  limited 


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133 


means.  Not  only  do  we  need  farmers,  but  also  men  of  all 
trades. 

Any  one  who  wishes  to  inquire  further  of  this  country 
can  address  Dr.  J.  C.  Robert,  secretary  of  Immigration 
Association,  Centerville,  Miss. 

THE  GULF  COAST. 

If  the  cyclone-beaten,  blizzard-ridden  cropless  farmers 
of  the  bleak  and  sterile  regions  of  the  North  could,  during 
a season  of  extreme  suffering  from  frigidity  and  destitution, 
peering  through  a long-distance  telescope,  catch  but  a 
passing  glimpse  of  this  southern  paradise,  this  land  of 
milk  and  honey,  this  section  of  long,  pleasant  sum- 
mers and  short,  mild  winters,  this  garden  of  fruits  and 
flowers,  blessed  with  healthful  climate  and  refreshing 
breezes,  he  would  hesitate  but  little  before  transferring  the 
scene  of  his  labors  to  this  God-favored  portion  of  America. 
Indeed,  he  would  long  since  have  enjoyed  peace,  content- 
ment and  plenty  on  these  broad  acres  of  fertile  soil  and 
rich  resources  but  for  his  ignorance  of  their  existence,  due 
to  the  lack  of  judicious  advertising. 

I refer  to  the  counties  of  Hancock,  Harrison  and  Jack- 
son,  constituting  what  is  general^  known  as  the  Gulf 
Coast  of  Mississippi  whose  shores  are  washed  by  the  waters 
of  the  great  Gulf  of  Mexico,  along  whose  southern  fringe 
daily  speed  the  long  trains  of  the  Eouisville  and  Nashville 
Railroad,  bearing  easterly  and  westerly  hundreds  of  pas- 
sengers and  thousands  of  tons  of  freight. 

The  gulf  shore  is  dotted  with  pretty  villages  and 
thriving  towns,  devoted  largely  to  the  entertainment  of 
summer  visitors  from  many  parts  of  the  South,  and  North- 
ern tourists  during  the  winter  months,  w7ho  flee  to  the 
“coast”  to  escape  the  severities  of  low  temperature  and 
chilly  blasts;  while  a few  very  liberally  support  manfuac- 
turiug  enterprises  and  other  industries  besides  serving  as 
Convenient  shipping  points  for  the  products  of  the  land  ly- 


134 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


ing  between  the  railroad  and'  the  northern  boundary  line 
of  these  counties.  A great  deal  of  this  is  devoted  to  the 
production  of  garden  truck  which  finds  a growing  demand 
in  the  towns  along  the  railroad  and  ready  markets  in  New 
Orleans  on  the  west  and  Mobile  on  the  east,  only  141  miles 
apart  connected  with  frequent  daily  trains  by  the  Louis- 
viile  and  Nashville  Railroad  to  which  places  ample  trans- 
portation facilities  can  always  be  had  by  both  rail  and 
sea. 

The  soil  is  splendidly  adapted  to  all  kinds  of  vegeta- 
bles; their  cultivation  requires  only  reasonable  fertilizing 
and  their  crops  are  infallible  in  their  respective  seasons. 
Fruits  of  almost  all  kinds — figs,  pears,  peaches,  plums, 
pomegranates,  persimmons,  etc. — grow  in  sufficient  abun- 
dance for  profitable  shipment,  while  the  orange  industry 
has,  in  the  last  few  3^ears  assumed  large  proportions.  The 
scuppernoug,  Concord,  Delaware  and  Ive’s  Seedling 
grapes  thrive  splendidly;  large  tracts  are,  in  fact,  given 
up  exclusively  to  their  culture;  and  the  pecan  nut  puts 
many  dollars  into  the  pockets  of  industrious  toilers  every 
year.  Sugar  and  molasses  are  also  among  the  products 
and  many  energetic  tillers  of  the  soil  are  rewarded  with  a 
far  greater  yield  in  value  per  acre  than  any  cotton  tracts 
can  possibly  produce. 

Numerous  creeks  and  rivers  • and  bayous  course 
through  these  counties,  the  Wolf,  Dog,  Pearl,  the  Tuxe- 
chena,  Tchouticabuffa,  Pascagoula,  Big  Biloxi,  Tittle 
Biloxi  rivers;  Tukey,  Bluff,  Black,  Red,  Cypress  creeks; 
Ft.  Bayou,  Bernard  and  Davis  bayous  and  others.  Many 
of  these  are  navigable,  and  many  a staunch  craft  can  be 
seen  on  them,  all  sails  up,  carrying  to  market  the  valua- 
ble products  of  the  lands  lying  at  inconvenient  distances 
from  the  railroad.  They  give  access  to  the  vast  forests  of 
long-leaf  yellow  pine  in  these  counties.  These  have  been, 
are  now,  and  will  for  years  hence  be  a great  source  of  rev- 
enue. The  demand  for  this  splendid  and  useful  wood  , is 
by  no  means  confined  to  this  country,  but  foreign  ships 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


135 


frequently  take  large  cargoes  from  ports  of  Pascagoula  and 
Ship  Island  to  European  and  South  American  markets 
where  they  find  immediate  sales. 

A great  deal  of  the  interior  land  is  still  open  to  home- 
stead entry,  and  would-be  settlers  can  find  desirable  homes 
in  the  sections  offered  by  the  Government.  Other  lands 
suitable  for  cultivation  and  satisfactorily  near  to  transpor- 
tation facilities  can  be  obtained  at  figures  ranging  from 
$1.25  to  $5  per  acre,  much  of  this  on  very  liberal  terms  of 
credit.  No  better  country  for  the  raising  of  cattle  and 
sheep  can  be  found  anywhere  in  the  United  States.  The 
grazing  lands  are  unexcelled  and  the  wool  of  superior 
quality;  besides  the  yield  is  already  large  and  increasing 
yearly.  The  production  of  wool  bids  fair,  in  truth,  to  be- 
come, in  a few  years,  one  of  the  chief  industries  of  the 
coast. 

The  oyster  beds  of  Mississippi  Sound  and  the  marshes 
supply  a large  portion  of  the  South  with  un- 
limitied  quantities  of  the  most  luscious  bivalves,  which 
have  almost  wholly  supplanted  the  eastern  product.  The 
canneries  of  Biloxi  and  Bay  St.  Louis  are  kept  in  operation 
during  a greater  part  of  the  fall  and  spring,  canning  the 
palatable  oysters  as  well  as  shrimps  in  their  season,  which 
are  found  here  in  inconceivable  numbers.  The  gulf,  the 
baj^s,  rivers,  and  bayous  are  filled  with  numerous  varieties 
of  salt  and  fresh  water  fish  and  the  supply  of  crabs  during 
the  entire  jmar  is  large.  The  canneries  find  appreciative 
patrons  all  over  the  country  for  these  goods  and  make  a 
few  shipments  to  European  countries  every  year. 

The  difierent  religious  denominations  have  large  con- 
gregations, eloquent  preachers,  and  beautiful  houses  of 
worship  in  the  larger  towns,  while  the  spiritual  welfare  of 
the  people  residing  in  the  smaller  settlement  is  not  neg- 
lected. Circuit  preaching  is  a much  appreciated  feature 
and  camp-meetings  are  numerous  and  well  attended.*  The 
public  schools  are  eligibly  located  throughout  these  coun- 
ties,  well  conducted  by  competent  teachers,  who  are  in 


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MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


turn  looked  after  by  vigilant  trustees;  the  entire  system 
being  under  the  watchful  care  of  experienced  superintend- 
ents. The  efficiency  of  the  school  department  is  yearly 
improved  regardless  of  cost. 

The  temperature  averages  in  summer  740  Fahren- 
heit, though  it  reaches  infrequently,  however,  go0;  in  win- 
ter it  averages  63°,  and  very  rarely  falls  to  the  freezing 
point.  The  rainfall  is  not  excessive  nor  unseasonable  aud 
drouth  is  unknown.  Invalids  from  all  portions  of  the 
United  States  flock  in  large  numbers  to  the  coast,  particu- 
larly in  wdnter,  seeking  health  and  vigor.  The\  find  in 
the  salt  air  an  effective  tonic  and  invigorant,  and  in  the 
tarry  exhalations  from  the  tall  and  stately  pine  trees  an 
infallible  remedy  for  bronchial  and  catarrhal  affi  ctions. 
Malarial  troubles  are  foreign  to  this  section  and  epidemics 
are  almost  impossible.  The  quarantine  regulations  against 
the  Invasion  of  yellow  fever  are  perfect,  and  fears  of  the 
dread  malady  gaining  a foothold  here  are  no  longer  enter- 
tained even  by  the  most  timid  anci  nervous. 

The  people  of  the  Gulf  Coast  are  justly  proud  of  their 
very  creditable  reputation  for  liberality  and  hospitality. 
The  animosities  naturally  engendered  by  the  unpleasant 
incidents  of  the  civil  war  have  long  ago  succumbed  to  the 
inevitable  changes  of  time  and  pacifying  effects  of  agreea- 
ble and  profitable  trade  relations.  This  is  evidenced  by 
the  prosperous  colonies  of  northern  people,  who  have 
settled  here  since  the  war  and  fraternize  with  those  to  the 
manner  born.  The  advent  of  the  shrewd,  enterterprising, 
progressive,  hustling  “Yankees”  is  indeed  hailed  with  ex- 
ceeding delight  and  every  encouragement  is  accorded  to 
their  plans  and  undertakings  for  the  general  welfare  of  the 
people  or  the  betterment  of  the  towns,  settlements  or  sec- 
tions. 


CONCLUSION. 

The  Report  of  the  Eleventh  Census  gives  some  very 
interesting; figures  in  regard  to  land  and  crop  values,  and 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


137 


the  percentage  of  gross  earnings  on  the  capital  invested  in 
farms  in  the  several  States.  According  to  that  report,  the 
average  values  of  farm  products,  per  acre,  for  the  whole 
United  .States  is  $ 6.88 ; for  Ohio  $7.27;  Indiana  $6. 27;  Illi- 
nois $7.20;  Michigan  $8.48;  Wisconsin  $7.25;  Minnesota 
$6.40;  Iowa  $6.27;  Nebraska  $4.38;  Kansas  $4.26,  and  for 
Mississippi  $10.70.  By  these  figures  the  average  crop 
from  an  acre  in  Mississippi  is  worth  more  than  fifty  per 
cent,  above  the  average  for  the  -whole  country,  and  more 
than  twenty-five  per  cent,  above  that  of  any  of  the  States 
named. 

The  percentage  of  the  gross  earnings  of  the  capital  in- 
vested in  farms,  including  land,  buildings,  implements 
and  stock,  is  very  high  in  Mississippi,  the  average  for  the 
United  States  being  15.4  percent;  for  Ohio  11.1  percent, 
Indiana  10.9  percent;  Illinois  12.5  percent;  Michigan  12.9 
percent;  Wisconsin  12.7  percent;  Minnesota  17.2;  percent; 
Iowa  14.5  per  cent;  Nebraska  13. 1 per  cent;  Kansas  13.5 
per  cent,  and  for  Mississippi  43.8  per  cent.  By  this  show- 
ing, money  invested  in  Mississippi  farms  brings  nearly 
three  times  as  much  as  the  average  for  the  -whole  country, 
and  more  than  twice  as  much  as  in  any  of  the  States 
named. 

The  average  value  of  farming  lands,  including  both 
improved  and  unimproved  is,  for  the  United  States  $25.55- 
for  Ohio  $51.13;  Indiana  $42.59;  Illinois  $58.35;  Michigan 
$43.72;  Wisconsin  $33.30;  Minnesota  $22.18;  Iowa  $36.10; 
Nebraska  23.71;  Kansas  $23:43;  and  for  Mississppi  $9.50. 
In  other  -words,  one  thousand  dollars  -will  purchase  19.6 
acres  in  Ohio;  23.5  in  Indiana;  20.7  in  Illinois;  22.9  in 
Michigan;  33.3  in  Wisconsin:  45.1  in  Minnesota;  27.7  in 
Iowa;  42.2  in  Nebraska:  42.7  in  Kansas;  -while  it  will 
purchase  105.3  acres  in  Mississippi.  These  figures  speak 
for  themselves. 

In  this  little  “Hand-book; “we  have  endeavored  to 
give  a fair  statement  which  is fully  justified  by  the 
facts.  We  cannot  deny  that  tneimmigrant  will  find  many 
things  here  not  to  his  liking.  In  many  places  he  will  find 
the  schools  inferior  to  those  to  which  he  has  been  accus- 
tomed; he  will  find  bad  roads,  tumble-dowm  buildings  and 
dilapidated  fences.  He  will  often  find  his  crops  less  than 
he  expected  if  he  is  a farmer,  and  his  sales  less  quick  than 
he  hoped  if  he  is  a manufacturer;  and  he  will  find  the 


138 


MISSISSIPPI  HANDBOOK. 


obstacles  and  discouragements  and  difficulties  which  every 
new  settler  in  any  country  has  to  meet.  All  this  is  ad- 
mitted, but  that  does  not  make  our  soil  any  less  fertile, 
the  climate  any  less  mild,  or  the  bright  future  for  the  in- 
telligent and  industrious  immigrant  any  less  certain.  We 
do  not  say  that  there  are  not  other  localities  not  as  attrac- 
tive as  any  in  Mississippi,  but  we  know  of  no  other  region 
where  a good  living  and  a comfortable  home  can  be  made 
any  more  easily  than  here.  Certainly  not  in  the  East, 
with  her  deserted  farms  and  idle  factories;  not  in  the 
North,  with  her  terrible  blizzards  and  dreary  winters;  not 
in  the  West,,  with  her  scorching  winds  and  never  ending- 
drouths. 

The  advantages  of  the  South  are  only  now  beginning 
to  be  realized,  and  more  northern  and  western  men  have 
purchased  farms  and  located  factories  in  Mississippi  dur- 
ing the  last  eighteen  months  than  during  as  many  preced- 
ing years.  No  one  should  come  here  blindly,  or  on  the 
representation  of  others,  but  should  first  examine  the 
country  thorough!}'  and  then  judge  of  it  for  himself. 


ID.  ©.  Attorney  at  Law, 

, , , Reai  [state  ftgent  and  Negotiator  of  Loans* 

WBSSON,  MISSISSIPPI. 


D.  M.  MAYERS,  real  estate  agent. 

For  the  Sea  Coast  of  Mississippi.  The  best  and  most 
growing  Section  of  the  South. 
fJcldfess  : ID.  lyl.  fpflYElRS,  Biloxi,  HJiss. 


ROBERT  S.  WOOD,  Real  Estate  agent 

ai>e  Conveyancer.  County,  misa.  1 11 

4®*  Bargains  in  Real  Estate.  Correct  Abstracts  and  conveyances,  -“gar 


The  South  Western  Land  Company  of  Port  Gibson,  Mississippi, 

e S.  DKXKB.  President.  .1.  T.  DRAKE  Secretary. 

Offers  for  sale  on  most  favorable  terms  a great  many  improved  places,  large  and 
small,  in  the  Counties  of  South  West  Mississippi  and  East  Louisiana.  For 
further  information,  address,  DR.  J.  C.  ROBERT,  General  Agent, 

Centerville,  Miss. 

A Swedish  colony  is  located  in  Centerville, 


Jnds  for  Stock  Farms, 


for  Corn,  Oats,  Clover,  Grasses, 
Hogs,  Etc.  Lands  for  Fruit, 
Truck  and  Vegetable  Farms. 

teat  JACKSON MISS., 

the  Capital  of  the  State,  the 
largest  Railroad  Center,  the  best  markets,  packing  house 
will  take  3your  hogs,  cattle,  etc. , as  the  erection  of  one  is 
now  being  considered  here.  Good,  public  Schools,  Colleges, 
Churches,  etc.  Population  10,000,  and  gaining  rapidly. 
High,  Healthy  Country,  Good  Water,  Good  Lands. 

AFTER  your  land  titles. 

W ri  HERE  are  located  the  records  of  the 
United  States,  and  State  Land  Offices,  the  beginning,  or 
source  of  all  the  titles.  Having  had  charge,  as  Chief 
Clerk,  of  the  State  Land  Department  for  a number  of 
years,  and  practicing  before  all  the  land  offices  for  past 
sixteen  years,  I am  prepared  to  give  valuable  information 
to  parties  desiring  large  bodies  of  hardwood,  or  yellow 
pine  timbered  lands,  for  speculation,  or  milling.  I have 
lands  in  all  parts  of  the  State  on  my  books  for  sale,  in 
small  or  large  tracts,  for  colonies,  or  investors.  I refer 
you  to  any  bank,  or  State  Official  at  Jackson,  or  can  give 
Chicago  reference.  Enclose  2 cent  stamp  for  FREE  list 
of  lands  for  sale.  Call  or  write. 

GEO.  W . CARLISLE, 

LAND  AGENT  AND  TITLE  ABSTRACTOR, 

JACKSON,  MISS. 

(One  block  of  State  Capitol  Building.) 


? 


T4?e  Best^sn^ 


IS  ALONG  THE  LINE  OF 


The  pOBlIiE  & OHIO  nflUiROMD 

In  the  Prairie  Region  of  EASTERN  MIS- 
SISSIPPI and  the  Pine  Belt  of 
SOUTHWESTERN 
ALABAMA. 


The  Garden  Spot  of  firnerica. 

You  can  make  more  money  farming  here  than  you  cun  elsewhere.  It  is  the 
Paradise  of  the  Fruit  Grower,  Truck  Farmer.  Stock  Raiser,  General  Farmer  and 
Invalid.  The  Summers  are  cool.  The  Winters  are  mild.  Sunstrokes  are  un- 
known. The  water  is  pure  and  soft. 

It  is  Unequaled  for  Healthful  ness. 

There  are  no  swamps  and  no  malaria.  The  best  shipping- facilities  in  the 
South.  IMPROVED  FARMS  $io  to  S15  an  acre.  Wild  lands  -.5  to  ;5  an  acre. 
Government  lands  free. 

Magnificent  Locations  for  Colonies. 

NOW  IS  THE  TIME  TO  GET  A HOME. 

PRICES  ARE  ADVANCING. 

We  ask  you  to  investigate  our  Section  before  you 

locate. 


kooi  13  ate 

Land  Seekers  Excursions 

Bvefy  lyiopti). 

Tickets  good  for  30  days  with  privilege  of  stopping 
off  at  pleasure  coming  or  going. 

Two  through  fast  trains  daily  between  St.  Louis  and 
Mobile,  with  sL  _ hg  cars  and  fine  day  coaches. 

KH^Beautiful,  illustrated  pamphlets  telling  ill  about 
our  Section,  SENT  FREE  TO  ALL-  For  a copy  of 
pamphlet,  or  for  rates,  time,  tickets  or  other  information 
apply  to  any  Railroad  ticket  or  Mobile  & Ohio  Land 
Agent,  or  to 

F.  IN.  GREENE,  Gen.  Agent.  108  N.  Bread  way,  ST.  LOUIS,  MO. 
E.  E.  POSEY,  Gen.  Pass,  Agent,  MOBILE,  aLa. 

JNO.  G.  MANN,  General  Manager,  MOBILE,  ALA. 


1— I CARROLL,, 


I^eadif)^  Hotel,  Vicksburg,  fyliss. 


Special  P^ent  for  Sale  of  Lots  ip  Piefit 

BinStiarpptor;,  OVterrtpliis,)  Terjn.  IMMIGRATION  SOCIETY 


JUDGE  IRAp.  DAIS, 

Cotton  Brokerage  and  General  Collecting. 

General  Intelligence  Office, 


References  : Capital  State  Bank, 
Jackson,  Miss.  First  National 
Bank  and  Delta  Trust  & Banking 
Co.,  Vicksburg,  Miss. 


Bolton,  flinds  Go.,  pss. 


w. 

~ REAL  ESTAtWeIET 

County  Immigration  ^Rgent.  starkviiie,  mis**. 


3,000  ACRES 


Fine  Lands  in  Monroe  Co.,  Miss,  for 
sale.  Terms  to  Suit.  i,ooo  in  Culti- 


vation, balance  Finely  Timbered.  Title  perfect.  Address: 


E.  d.  SiyilTM,  Jackson,  lyUss. 
or  fl.  S.  13  fl  SKdN,  fltoerdeep,  lyliss. 


R.  3.  Mg  MAHON, 

Located  in  the  Center  of  the  GREAT  YAZOO  & MISSISSIPPI  DELTA, 
I have  for  sale  100,000  acres  of  the  FINEST  FARM  and  TIMBER 
LANDS.  Address : 


Indianola,  Straflooier  Goanty,  Mississippi 


$ai“Have  the  only  Abstracts  of  Titles  to  Real  Estate  in  Leflore 
anJ  Sunflower  Counties. 

Yesgei?  & South wohth, 

Attorneys  at  Law, 

Hub  * IReal  * Estate  * agents. 

Abstracts  f unite  bejD  on  sbort  notice. 

Greenwood,  and  Carrollton,  Miss. 

COLONIAL  AND  UNITED  STATES 

PHTGftGE  GOiPafiY,  LIMITED, 

HAS  FOR  SALE 

Improved  Plantations  in  Afississiyopi, 
Arkansas  anti  Louisiana,  on 
Easy  Terms.  Tracts  to 
SiffiLt.  Five  Year 
Installment 
Plan. 

n^errjptfis  Office  : 5 M ad  is  on  Str  eei; 

N.  F.  Le MASTER,  Manager . 

Correspondence  Solicited. 

Ivetta  Xanb  Hgenc& 

Gfeenmood, 

Rush  & Gardner,  Attorneys.  J.  K.  Allen,  Manager. 

(Dorresponber.ee  SoUdteb. 


R.  K JAYN  EH,  REAL  estate  agent, 

304  E.  Capitol  St.,  JACKSON,  MISS. 

Farms,  City  Property  and  Timber  Lands  for  Sale. 
Prompt  attention  given  to  Correspondence. 


Enochs  Bros.,  . . 

{paptifactUfetr  s of 

Long  • Leaf  • Velio#  • Pine  • Itamber. 

Flooring,  Ceiling  and  Finishing 
a specialty. 

Write  for  delivered  prices. 

JACKSON , MISS. 

C.  R.  BYRNES,  Jr.,  flatehez,  Miss. 

Largest  Lapd  Dealer  °F>  fbe  JVlississippi 
befvbeep  jVIeropbis  apd  ]Mev\)  Orlegps. 

HATCHETT,  RICE  & CO.,  Real  Estate. 

41  Madison  Street,  Room  15  Flantars  Building, 

MEMPHIS,  TENN. 

PROPERTY  bought,  sold  and  rented  in  the  city  or  country.  Targe  list  of 
city  and  suburban  property  for  sale;  also  plantations.  Special  attention  given 
to  the  property  of  non-residents,  and  to  platting  and  subdividing. 

We  have  3,200  acres  land  near  Houston,  County  Seat  of  Choctaw  County, 
finely  timbered  and  productive  land  that  can  be  bought  at  a great  bargain.  Also 
2400  acres  fine  farming  land  and  well  adapted  to  stock  raising,  with  running 
stream  through  it,  about  1,200  acres  cleared  and  in  cultivation  in  De  Soto  Co., 
within  25  miles  of  Memphis,  7 miles  of  Hernando,  has  a large  and  splendid 
pasture.  Also  a number  of  farms  in  North  Mississippi,  and  in  West  Tennessee, 
and  Orange  Groves  in  Florida. 


J.  fi.  D.  BGWMAR  & SON,  Real  Estate  Agents, 
Ylcksfoiirg,  S^iss. 

Large  and  small  tracts,  both  in  the  Hills  and  Missis- 
sippi Bottom,  at  low  prices  and  easy  terms.  Write  for 
particulars.  Information  cheerfully  given. 


GEO.  >i.  Gova.h,  Jackson.  Miss.  R.  W.  Durfey,  Canton,  Miss. 

GOYAN  & feURF^Y, 


Getter al  Office, 

Jacksorj,  ?y?lss. 


Have  formed  business  connection  with  Northwestern  Capitalists  for  the  sale  of 
Southern  Farms  and  Pine  and  Timber  Lands. 


Northwestern  Office,  Sioux  City,  Iowa, 

Address;  S.  F.  COOK,  or  JRQ8T.  E.  L,E Y, 

iSOOPfl  12,  COO$flE«CIfJL  SLOCK. 


ELl£E=  Mtant  a Dom e 

In  the  South  ? 

If  so,  ccrrespopd  ydifl)  us  YH  c l^etv'e.  sorpc 

^eyy  d esipcrlole  irpproded  properties  |op 
sale  located  ip  ilje  alluvial  portiaps  o| 
^Mississippi,  Iiouisiapa  apd  g/I'pl^apsas. 
\A/f)icI)  vde  ojlepipq  cl^eap  apd  op 

eusy  fcpips.  Goppespoixkince  Solieitsd. 

GRAVES  & ViHTOIl  GOiPfifiY, 

Metnppis,  Tenn. 


LEE  J.  LOCKWOOD,  Manager. 
HENUY  C.  r:  VERS,  Bss'i.  M3r. 


eridia^ 

IssissijDjsi, 


£ 

l^L  aptif  ac  t Cifips* 

city  of  15,000 


popdiatiop.  Popdlatiop  ip  1880  oply 
4,000.  135  Saui  Infills  ip  territory  trip* 
titafy  to  H^eridiap.  I have  1,000  eity  lots  for  sale, 
also  100,000  acres  timber  lands.  C.  V.  ROBINSON- 


REFERENCES  : Meridian  National  Bank,  First  National  Bank. 


n, 

V,  ':j 


Southward  bo! 


We  offer  for  sale,  at  from 


$Z  to  $ZB  Bollafs 


: Ranging  in  side  from  20  to  -uqq  acres  in  the 

uplands  and  in  the  alluvial  lands  of 
Arkansas.  Mississippi,  and  Louisiana. 


,Gne~tenih  cash,  balance  10  years  time  with 
one-tenth  and  interest  at  7 per  cent, 
payable  each  year. 

Caldwell  & Smith; 

J . . No.  8 f>lad;son  St., 

lyieirijpfyis,  Te:r?i). 

•Send  for  description  list  our  tends. 


m 

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STATE  IMMIGRATION  MAP  OF  MISSISSIPPI 


— Wg-;^2W *-*— 


fiL'Y 


LXJ  J 

tv 


■ «rn. 


■ 


Date  Due 


HARRR 

|E5C  O 

■r 


Form  335 — 40M  -6-39 — S 


917.62  T762M 


365604 


